SCILT > News View > Applies To

Win a foosball table for your school!

5 December 2024 (Goethe-Institut)

Calling all young German learners in Scotland: Are you ready to show off your creativity and passion for learning German?

The competition is open to groups of pupils or entire classes from P6 to S6 in Scotland. The challenge to submit a creative video with a focus on your tips for learning German!

Teachers have until 7 February to submit entries.

Full details on the Goethe-Institut website.

First Gaelic poet appointed Scotland's Makar

3 December 2024 (BBC)

The first Gaelic poet has been appointed as Scotland's Makar.

Lewis-born Peter Mackay says he is keen to use his new role as the national poet to champion his native tongue, but not at the expense of other languages.

He told BBC Scotland News: "I write mainly in Gaelic and English, and sometimes Scots.

"We are a multi-lingual nation so it's important to find ways to speak to each other."

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Exciting opportunity to internationalise your curriculum!

3 December 2024 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to offer all primary and secondary state schools the opportunity to have a Chinese language assistant teacher in their school/cluster free of charge in 2025-26!

Your teacher could help deliver L3 Mandarin to primary and secondary BGE classes, lead IDL projects such as Eco Learning Partners organise live-link ups with Chinese schools, team teach with Virtual Exchange Teachers (VETs) team teach with your own staff, work with small groups for speaking activities, support senior phase learners with preparation for NQs alongside the Discovering China programme. This exciting opportunity could complement or supplement any existing Mandarin provision you have. Having a Mandarin language assistant teacher could revolutionise your L3 provision next year.

For more information contact karen.liddle@strath.ac.uk

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Foreign Language Assistants, Language Learning, Language Teaching, SCILT news

Scots creative writing programme

3 December 2024 (Open Book)

Come along to Open Book’s monthly Scots creative writing programme, a free series of creative writing sessions which take place via Zoom, and which are led by trained facilitator, author Alan McClure. These sessions are designed as a gentle introduction to writing in Scots and are open at anyone who’d like to give it a try in a friendly and welcoming setting. Beginner and more experienced writers are all welcome.

The next two sessions will take place on:

Monday 9 December, 11-12:30pm
Monday 13 January, 11-12:30pm

Sessions can be booked now via Eventbrite, and participants will be sent the Zoom link in advance of the sessions by email.

SQA Modern Languages update

3 December 2024 (SQA)

The SQA has added a guidance document on the use of pronouns and gender-neutral language to their Modern Languages webpage.

The document can also be accessed from within the Advanced Higher Modern Languages tab on the page.

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize 2025

3 December 2024 (Franco-Scottish Society / Alliance Française)

In 2021, to mark the 100th birthday of Jacqueline Munro-Lafon, the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland and SCILT came together to create an essay prize competition to commemorate her life and work. The competition is currently run by the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland and the Alliance Française, Glasgow, with the co-operation of SCILT. The judging criteria for this prize mirror elements of the writing marking guidelines for AH French, offering pupils an opportunity to showcase their French writing skills in a national forum with a first-place prize of £500, sponsored by the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, and two runner-up prizes of £100, sponsored by SCILT.

Eligibility:

For learners of French at Advanced Higher level.
This competition is not open to native French speakers nor those with a French heritage.

Requirements:

The essay will be in French.
Between 350 and 500 words in length.
The essay will be reviewed and proofed once by you/the learner’s teacher before the final revision of the essay is submitted. This proof-reading and feedback, seen as a learning exercise, would be limited to drawing your learner’s attention to where improvements can be made in accuracy of language and style.

Timeline:

Registration will be open for schools from Monday 6 January 2025 (registration link will be available in the new year).
Registration will close on Friday 26 January 2025.
All necessary information, including this round’s essay topic and supporting material will be sent to registered schools on Thursday 30 January.
The deadline for submitting essays will be Friday 21 March 2025.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Languages Week Scotland 2025

3 December 2024 (Institut français)

The Institut français d’Ecosse is happy to be part Languages Week Scotland!

Now in its seventh year, Languages Week Scotland 2025 on the theme “Our multilingual futures” will take place from 3 to 8 February at the Institut français d’Écosse.

Come to discover the diversity and richness of languages in Scotland with activities for all ages! There will be conferences, a film screening and a reading for children.

Join us for a fascinating exchange of personal experiences, ideas, poetic practices and languages with multilingual and Scotland-based poets Elodie Laügt, Paul Malgrati and Anne Pia! Event to be held in English, French and Scots.

Come and meet Tania Czajka and her Parisian garden friends as they embark on a charming bilingual adventure in the cold French winter. Tania will perform a short puppet show.

Keep an eye on our website!

Upcoming Online Team Teaching for Languages - Live Lessons available for French, Gaelic and Spanish

28 November 2024 (Argyll & Bute Council)

Suitable for P4-7 classes. French and Gaelic are now provided at two levels. Please sign up here.

Teachers learn alongside their pupils in real time and are supported to lead the learning in their own class. The lesson structure alternates between short bursts of direct teaching from the online teacher, followed by the class teachers leading their own class in a game. This format allows the learning to remain active and fully engage the learners. These courses provide on the job professional learning and help teachers make the time for languages in the curriculum.

Each lesson lasts approximately 40 minutes and will take place via GLOW Microsoft Teams. All resources will be available to download in advance of the session and will be stored in the GLOW Team.

Lingobox Learning – Individual Subscriptions Sale! Ends Monday 1 December!

28 November 2024 (Lingobox Learning)

Our special individual subscription price of just £5.99 (usually £7.99) ends this Monday 1 December! Your subscription includes access to all our French Christmas resources including our popular, interactive French advent calendar! It’s packed with fun daily activities to keep kids engaged and excited throughout December. Included in your subscription you’ll get:

A complete library of Early - Second French teaching resources
Songs, videos, digital games and interactive lessons
Ready-to-use materials for classrooms or at home
Expert guidance to make learning effortless

But hurry - this offer is only available until 1 December! Don’t miss your chance to access these fantastic resources at our lowest price of the year. Subscribe Now for £5.99!

Revitalizing the Outer Hebrides: Immigration, tourism, and Gaelic language education

25 November 2024 (Stornoway Gazette)

The Outer Hebrides face a pivotal moment in balancing cultural preservation with economic growth.

Depopulation and economic stagnation challenge the islands, yet solutions like immigration, sustainable tourism, and Gaelic language education are proving transformative. Immigrants help sustain vital industries, while tourism tied to Gaelic traditions boosts the economy. Expanding Gaelic education ensures cultural revival for future generations. Together, these strategies offer a path to revitalizing the Hebrides while honoring their unique heritage.

The Outer Hebrides face a dual challenge of depopulation and economic stagnation. Yet, immigration, sustainable tourism, and Gaelic language revival are emerging as intertwined solutions to breathe new life into the islands while preserving their unique cultural identity.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Chinese New Year poster competition – entries now open to all Scottish primary schools!

21 November 2024 (CISS)

CISS is delighted to announce a poster competition to celebrate the forthcoming Year of the Snake. The competition is open to all primary schools in Scotland, with a deadline for entries on Thursday 16 January 2025.

Design a poster to celebrate the Year of the Snake. Entries should include references to the following criteria and will be judged against these:

Snakes
Mandarin Chinese language and characters
The year 2025
New Years
Colours and creativity!

The winning entry will receive a prize and be featured online, with the poster being used as the CISS Chinese New Year e-card.

Please submit a high-quality photo or scan of each entry via the submission form.

Chinese New Year Poster Competition 2025 Year of the Snake flyer showing previous years' poster entries and outlining competition rules and deadline of 16 January 2025.

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, CISS news

Multilingualism Live – Let’s work together!

19 November 2024 (SCILT)

Primary teachers, would you like the opportunity to collaborate with the Multilingualism through Art (MtA) team in the new year? Please read on for more information!

For those who don’t know us, the MtA team is made up of a small group of colleagues (4) from the University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde and SCILT. Our work mainly focuses on multilingualism and multilingual approaches towards language learning, notably using art and creative methodologies. In the new year, we are planning to deliver 3 live online lessons that will explore multilingualism and language learning through an art-based lens. In order to plan these lessons, which will take place between January and March, we are looking to work alongside teachers of primary, more specifically, those working with learners from P5 – P7 to collaborate with. The idea is that the MtA team will work with the class teacher to plan and design a lesson that adopts a multilingual approach to language learning with an art focus. Following on from the planning process, the MtA team will join the class online and team-teach with the class teacher to deliver the lesson. This lesson can be drawn from the Multilingualism through Art resource pack or we can discuss any other ideas that you may have. Ultimately, we aim to co-create a lesson with the teacher to best meet the needs of their learners.

You can select one from the following dates and please note, each lesson will take place on Microsoft Teams from 1.30 pm – 2.30pm.

Thursday 23 January
Thursday 27 February
Thursday 20March

We intend to meet with all teachers taking part during the week beginning 6 January to begin the discussion and planning process.

If you would like to get involved in this exciting opportunity, consider which date works best for you and register your interest here.

Please note that places are limited, and we can only accept one class per school for each date. You will be notified if you have secured a place week beginning 9 December 2024.

Posted in: Primary, All Languages, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Methodologies, Teacher Education, SCILT news

French language teachers, we value your input!

15 November 2024 (Institut français)

Between September and November, the Institut français d’Ecosse has been organising free online teachers’ training workshops.

Aware that the days and times did not necessarily suit timetables from teachers across Scotland and wishing to reach out to most teachers teaching French in primary and secondary schools, we invite you to complete a short survey aiming at identifying the best day/time to conduct such trainings.

The survey will take you a few minutes to complete.

Please kindly complete the survey before the extended deadline of 1 December 2024.

The data collected will be stored and used for internal purposes only.

Thanking you in advance for your input!

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Research, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

New show performed in Scots and Gaelic to go on tour

14 November 2024 (The Herald)

A new show which tells the story of Scottish culture, history and identity as well as exploring the myths of the country will go on tour next year.

Through the Shortbread Tin will open at Corn Exchange in Melrose on April 2, 2025 and head on a tour that sees it performed in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Ullapool, Stornoway, Portree, Dornie, Cumbernauld, Oban, Helensburgh, Lerwick and Inverness over the course of a month.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

'Digital-first' Gaelic language production launched by BBC

12 November 2024 (The Herald)

A new digital-first Gaelic language production will be launched in Scotland after a joint agreement between BBC Alba and BBC Scotland.

The first-of-its-kind co-commissioning project commits £800k over two years, funded by MG ALBA and the BBC, and aims to identify and develop projects that resonate with all Scottish audiences.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Developing a curriculum for Gaelic Medium and Gaelic Learner Education in secondary schools

12 November 2024 (Education Scotland)

Senior leaders, teachers in schools and local authority officers can use this Education Scotland case study to reflect on and review the Gaelic Medium Education (GME) secondary curriculum within their schools. Challenge questions form part of this resource which can be considered in support of planning for improvement.

In preparing this case study, a range of sources were used such as, interviews with staff and senior leaders at the Nicolson Institute.

Access the full resource on the Education Scotland website.

SQA marker opportunities 2025

31 October 2024 (SQA)

SQA recruits approximately 11,000 teachers and lecturers as markers for the National Qualifications exam diet every year. Recruitment for the 2025 exams is currently underway, with opportunities available across all subjects and levels.

SQA markers play a key role in supporting the exam diet, ensuring the consistent application of national standards. They gain valuable insight into SQA processes, procedures and national standards. It also provides the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge and gather evidence for continuing professional development. Full training and support is provided.

To find out more about the marker role and eligibility or apply, please visit the SQA website.

Pupils get to secondary and think 'why am I learning Gaelic?'

31 October 2024 (The Herald)

The "over-promotion" of the benefits of bilingualism could be contributing to a 60% drop-off in uptake in Gaelic Medium Education (GME) from primary to secondary, an academic has suggested.

Dr Inge Birne, an expert in the learning and teaching of minority languages, said more needed to be done to promote the "value of Gaelic" to parents and young people.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Centre for Lifelong Learning language classes

31 October 2024 (University of Strathclyde)

The University of Strathclyde's Centre for Lifelong Learning (CLL) offers opportunities to study modern languages as part of its day, evening and summer short course programmes. The languages offered vary from year to year. French, Gaelic, German, Italian and Spanish language classes are included this year, varying each term, with new courses in Mandarin now also available for the 2024-25 session!

Bishopbriggs Academy – Using shinty to improve Gaelic positive-ethos and immersion

30 October 2024 (Education Scotland)

This video learning resource for senior leaders and teachers working in Gaelic Medium Education shows how Bishopbriggs Academy has used the traditional Scottish sport of shinty to support Gaelic education in their setting through improved Gaelic-positive ethos and increased immersion opportunities.

Our World updates!

29 October 2024 (SCILT)

In case you missed it, the popular SEET competition for Secondary School learners is being run by SCILT this year and we have just updated our webpage with some extra support materials for anyone interested in taking part.

Firstly, you can find the recording of an information session for teachers held on 26 September which will tell you all about the project, what’s involved and what’s changed this year.

Secondly, you’ll find our fabulous learner support video which includes information, tips, activities and video tutorials for learners to find out how to go about preparing their entry. This video can be played in class with learners and used to introduce the project and get them thinking about their entries.

Both of these resources can be found in the Tutorials dropdown on the Our World page.

Finally, for anyone planning on taking part this year, we have a drop-in support session from 4-5pm on 7 November. Sign up to come along and ask any questions you may have about preparing your entry.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, SCILT news

Deaf young people in Scotland using BSL reflect on their education

24 October 2024 (BATOD Magazine)

In this journal article, Beverley Ferguson, Rachel O’Neill, Karen Faulds and Moira Ross share an insight into their FEAPDA Congress presentation about the development of a new case study for practitioners in early learning and childcare settings, schools, colleges, and universities to support all deaf children, young people, and their families.

See the attached pdf file for the full article.

Related Files

DYP in Scotland using BSL reflect on their education (493 KB)

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, FE, HE, Scotland, Language Learning, Research, News from language & education organisations, BSL

Beginner's Japanese - Language and culture taster course

22 October 2024 (eSgoil)

eSgoil, in partnership with Edinburgh University and the Japan Foundation, are offering beginner courses for Japanese Language and Culture.

The courses are aimed at secondary school learners and will be delivered in Microsoft Teams via Glow. They are available at 3 levels: Beginners Level 1, Beginners Level 2 and Beginners Level 3.

Visit the eSgoil website for more information about the courses and dates from November 2024 to January 2025 and to register. Limited places available!

Tianjin Scholarship 2025-26 – last chance to apply!

22 October 2024 (SCILT)

We are delighted to once again offer the opportunity for S6 school leavers to take part in the Tianjin Scholarship programme to study Mandarin at Tianjin Normal University during the September 2025 to June 2026 academic year.

This is more than just a gap year or a language course. This immersive, life-changing experience can broaden young people's horizons, develop their intercultural competences and open their eyes to endless possibilities for their future. They will have the chance to really master the Chinese language, as well as foster friendships that will last a lifetime and grow and develop as responsible, global citizens who will be effective contributors to society.

The Scholarship is open for any current S6 pupil who attends a state school in a local authority that has a Confucius classroom hub. If your school is in an authority which does not have a hub, you are still eligible to apply if you are participating in the Discovering China National Qualifications courses. This Scholarship is intended to provide an immersive learning experience for pupils with no previous connections to Chinese language and culture. Therefore, applicants must be non-Chinese nationals from a non-native Chinese-speaking background.

Applications for the 2025-26 Scholarship are now open with a closing date of 31 October 2024. Successful applicants at this stage will be informed within two weeks and invited to an interview in Glasgow during the week commencing 18 November, with successful interviewees being informed by the end of November.

You can find more information about the Scholarship, as well as guidance documents and registration links, on the Scholarship project website.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Funding, Immersion, Language Learning, Study Abroad, SCILT news

Discovery Film Festival - Schools programme

21 October 2024 (Discovery Film Festival)

The 21st edition of Discovery Film Festival takes place 19 October to 3 November.

This year's schools programme will be entirely on-site at Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA). There are films for different age groups and in different languages with English subtitles. Accompanying teacher resource packs are also available.

Visit the Festival website for full programme details.

Paisley school pupils star in their own British Sign Language film

21 October 2024 (Daily Record)

Pupils at Paisley’s West Primary School were on the big screen after starring in a film which showcased their learning of British Sign Language (BSL).

The piece recorded the journey of the pupils through learning basic signs at the very start all the way through to being able to have a basic conversation in BSL.

There was also understanding of the signs that are used in the BSL/English performance which took them on an adventure around Paisley’s historical sites.

Posted in: Primary, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press, BSL

SQA updates

15 October 2024 (SQA)

The SQA has added the following documents to their Advanced Higher Modern Languages page:

AH Modern Languages Portfolio Writing Answer Booklets published
AH Chinese Languages, German, French and Gaelic course reports published

Scots graduates 'non-competitive' amid languages decline

14 October 2024 (The Herald)

Graduates from Scottish universities are becoming “non-competitive” on the global job market as the number of students studying foreign languages continues to decline, academics have warned.

To reverse the trend, the Scottish Government has been urged to provide more support for language instruction across the country's schools and universities.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Posted in: Scotland, Language Learning - Decline, Languages in the press

Language Explorers Scotland – registrations for 2024-25 closing soon!

11 October 2024 (SCILT)

We have had a great response from schools who would like to participate in this year’s languages mentoring programme. If you are interested in taking part, please note that this is the final call for applications before the deadline on Monday 4 November.

The Language Explorers Scotland (LES) programme aims to raise awareness amongst BGE secondary age learners of the far-reaching benefits of language learning by facilitating a short programme of discreet mentoring sessions led by university students with lived experiences of language learning and multiculturalism.

To access further information about the languages mentoring programme, including key dates, and to hear from last year’s student mentors, please visit the LES webpage. Successful schools should anticipate hosting their languages mentoring sessions between mid-November and the end of February, in liaison with their mentor.

Please note that this programme runs online, therefore it is imperative that interested schools have an adequate technical set-up and internet connection to allow for remote interactions between mentees and mentors. Geographical proximity to a university is not necessary.

DYW Live Languages and Your Career: New dates available to book!

11 October 2024 (SCILT / eSgoil)

We are delighted to be working together with e-Sgoil and DYW Live again this year to deliver the Languages and Your Career webinar. In this session we will explore how languages can contribute to success in a wide range of jobs and career paths. This webinar aims to introduce secondary learners to the importance of languages and their associated skills in the workplace, break down stereotypes of careers that use languages, identify appropriate career pathways, and hear examples of people who use languages in their daily work. It is an interactive session with input from people who use languages in their work.

The Languages and Your Career workshop will be repeated each month on different days and times from October until January. The series will then end with a Languages Week Scotland special event in February. All dates are now available to book:

Tuesday 29 October 2.00 – 3.00

Wednesday 27 November 10.00 – 11.00

Monday 16 December 11.00 – 12.00

Friday 17 January 10.00 – 11.00

Thursday 6 February 2.00 – 3.00

All sessions will take place in Glow Teams.

For more information and registration details, see the e-Sgoil website.

Lingobox Learning: New French course for teachers!

10 October 2024 (Lingobox Learning)

Our first full French course for teachers starts on Tuesday 29 October. This course is designed to empower teachers at all levels of French to develop French language skills and build confidence by working with you to create a personalised learning plan which works for you!

Throughout this 6-week course, we’ll share learning materials every Tuesday (29.10.24 – 03.12.24) so you can work through all learning videos and activities in your own time. All school subscribers to Lingobox will have full access to course materials as ongoing.

The course also includes a full 2-months individual account access to Lingobox!

The course will cover:

Teaching primary French: Learn about the key aspects of primary French language learning and create a personalised learning and teaching plan which works for you.

A guide to French phonics: Your go to guide for understanding and teaching French phonics.

Language learning topics: How to plan for, learn and teach your choice of French topic language (eg weather, dates, numbers, school subjects, opinions etc.) in a quick and effective way.

Embedding language into practice: Simple and effective strategies for embedding language into classroom practice including classroom instructions, recycling topic language and some fun French interjections.

Planning across the curriculum: Explore how to maximise French learning by including language as a part of all interdisciplinary learning.

Planning language learning: Empower yourself with a French language learning plan which is progressive, meaningful and which builds skills and confidence. This session will also look at upcoming cultural contexts and will share a range of exciting ideas which you can pick up and use in class!

Existing individual Lingobox subscribers will be contacted with a course discount code if you would like to add this course onto your subscription.

All course participants will receive a certificate on completion of the course.

Visit the Lingobox Learning website to find out more.

Any questions, please contact ann@lingoboxlearning.com

Introduction to Mandarin Course 2024-25

10 October 2024 (SCILT)

e-Sgoil is working with the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools to offer a 24-week Introduction to Mandarin language and culture to secondary school learners across Scotland.

The course will start w/c 28 October and will be taught via live lessons, delivered on MS Teams on Glow. There will be one 45-minute lesson per week, with options for whole classes to join during the school day, or for individual learners to join after school.

Visit the eSgoil website for more information and to register!

image showing details of the course which can be found on eSgoil's website and Chinese cultural icons

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Partnership Working, SCILT news

Music and writing workshop for secondary students

8 October 2024 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française de Glasgow, in collaboration with the hip-hop duo Lobo & Cotchei, is pleased to offer your school the opportunity to participate in a unique music and writing workshop which will allow students to work with two professional musicians and educators to write lyrics in French and create a complete song, including recording.

Aimed at students studying French at a National 5 or post National 5 level, this workshop can welcome up to 25 students and can be held as a full-day or half-day session (about 3hrs). As part of our outreach programme, it is completely free of charge. The workshop can take place at your school or at the Alliance Française de Glasgow, located at Park Circus.

The available dates for the workshop are between 18 and 22 November.

If your school would like to take part, please do not hesitate to contact us at admin@afglasgow.org.uk

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

New Gaelic youth strategy to focus on language outside classroom

7 October 2024 (The Herald)

More opportunities need to be built around Gaelic education if young people are to develop a “level of functional fluency”, it has been said.

A new strategy is being developed to help expand learning of the language beyond the classroom and during extra-curricular activities.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Language Ambassadors Online: all sessions for 2024-25 now available to book!

3 October 2024 (SCILT)

SCILT’s Language Ambassadors Online programme is a fully online offer available to all schools across the country. Our interactive monthly online sessions are led by student Language Ambassadors from universities across Scotland who are keen to share their experiences of learning languages and discovering new cultures. You can read more about the programme on our website. Sign up to bring your classes along to any/all of the sessions listed!

Upcoming sessions are as follows:

Wednesday 30 October: 9.00 – 10.00am

Tuesday 26 November: 2.00 – 3.00pm

Friday 24 January: 10.00 – 11.00am

Wednesday 26 February: 11.00am – 12.00pm

Tuesday 18 March: 2.00 – 3.00pm

All sessions will take place on Microsoft Teams. For more information and to book to bring your class(es) along, visit the Language Ambassadors Online programme webpage.

Language Explorers Scotland – registrations for 2024-25 are open!

3 October 2024 (SCILT)

Registrations are open for schools that would like to participate in this year’s Language Explorers Scotland mentoring programme. This programme aims to raise awareness amongst BGE secondary age learners of the far-reaching benefits of language learning by facilitating a short programme of discreet mentoring sessions led by university students with lived experiences of language learning and multiculturalism.

To access further information about the languages mentoring programme, including key dates, and to hear from last year’s student mentors, please visit the Language Explorers Scotland webpage. Successful schools should anticipate hosting their languages mentoring sessions between mid-November and the end of February, in liaison with their mentor.

Please note that this programme runs online, therefore it is imperative that interested schools have an adequate technical set-up and internet connection to allow for remote interactions between mentees and mentors. Geographical proximity to a university is not necessary.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, All Languages, Scotland, Language Learning, Partnership Working, SCILT news

Kids in Aberdeenshire Bring European Day of Languages to life with French Club extravaganza

1 October 2024 (Aberdeen Live)

Aberdeenshire’s young language enthusiasts celebrated the European Day of Languages in a vibrant and engaging style at their local French clubs recently. The events turned learning into an unforgettable adventure, filled with laughter and lively activities!

The events, in Dizzy Rascals, Laurencekirk and the Bettridge Centre, Newtonhill, held to mark the importance of linguistic diversity and cultural awareness, were filled with excitement, laughter and educational activities designed to inspire a love for language learning.

University of Stirling Language Ambassadors

1 October 2024 (University of Stirling)

Want to promote languages to your learners/young people? Why not arrange for one of the University of Stirling’s Language Ambassadors to visit your school?

We have students of French and Spanish willing to visit in-person and/or join an online session with school pupils to share their experiences of language-learning at university and the opportunities it has offered them. Many of our students undertake the study of languages alongside other subjects and can provide insights into the transferable skills they have gained combining languages with other areas. Several of them have also studied or worked abroad and are happy to talk about these experiences with young learners.

Language Ambassadors can provide various interventions and will tailor their offerings in line with what teachers/schools require.

If interested, please contact Fiona Noble (fiona.noble@stir.ac.uk).

Posted in: French, Spanish, Scotland, Language Ambassadors, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

Language teaching has got even smaller as GCU axes courses

26 September 2024 (The Herald)

Towards the end of 2023, language teaching in Scotland became a big news story.

The German Ambassador had raised concerns with then FM Humza Yousaf about the decline in the teaching of his nation’s language, warning of the “dramatically low” uptake numbers. As I explained at the time, his concerns were well founded, but part of a wider issue.

Soon after, representatives from France, Germany, Spain and Italy were writing to the University of Aberdeen urging them not to cut modern language courses as they had planned.

[..] Today, I can exclusively reveal that another institution is planning cuts to language teaching – this time, Glasgow Caledonian University.

This article appears as part of the Lessons to Learn newsletter.

Posted in: Scotland, Languages - Higher Education, Languages in the press

Tianjin Scholarship 2025-26 – applications now open!

26 September 2024 (SCILT)

We are delighted to once again offer the opportunity for S6 school leavers to take part in the Tianjin Scholarship programme to study Mandarin at Tianjin Normal University during the September 2025 to June 2026 academic year.

This is more than just a gap year or a language course. This immersive, life-changing experience can broaden young people's horizons, develop their intercultural competences and open their eyes to endless possibilities for their future. They will have the chance to really master the Chinese language, as well as foster friendships that will last a lifetime and grow and develop as responsible, global citizens who will be effective contributors to society.

The Scholarship is open for any current S6 pupil who attends a state school in a local authority that has a Confucius classroom hub. If your school is in an authority which does not have a hub, you are still eligible to apply if you are participating in the Discovering China National Qualifications courses. This Scholarship is intended to provide an immersive learning experience for pupils with no previous connections to Chinese language and culture. Therefore, applicants must be non-Chinese nationals from a non-native Chinese-speaking background.

Applications for the 2025-26 Scholarship are now open with a closing date of 31 October 2024. Successful applicants at this stage will be informed within two weeks and invited to an interview in Glasgow during the week commencing 18 November, with successful interviewees being informed by the end of November. There will also be a Scholarship information session on Monday 7 October, for more information and any questions you have.

You can find more information about the Scholarship, as well as guidance documents and registration links, on the Scholarship project website.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Study Abroad, SCILT news

Aberdeen independent school celebrates European Day of Languages following exam success

25 September 2024 (Aberdeen Business News)

St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen is preparing to mark European Day of Languages on Thursday 26 September following new data which revealed the dwindling number of Scottish students opting to study languages at Higher level. Head of Modern Languages, Karen Williamson will host an interactive taster session giving learners and parents the opportunity to gain insight into the EPI (Extensive Processing Instruction) approach; a technique designed to help students learn more effectively by reducing cognitive overload.

Last month TES reported that Higher entries for the four main modern languages in Scottish schools had, in overall numbers, been steadily declining since 1986. In 1986, entries for French, German, Spanish and Italian made up 6.5 per cent of all Higher entries (10,833 out of 166,403). By 2024, the same four languages only made up 3.1 per cent of all SQA Higher entries (6,075 out of 196,250).

Whilst modern language qualifications are seeing falling numbers of students taking on this subject nationally, uptake and success by girls in languages has always been strong at St Margaret’s.

Days left to complete ‘crucial’ languages survey for Scottish schools

24 September 2024 (TES)

Teachers and schools have less than a week to complete a short languages survey that could prove “crucial” to the future of the subjects in Scottish schools.

There is deep concern about the declining number of students taking languages in Scotland. The survey from British Council Scotland is seeking views on how languages can be boosted in Scottish education, to “ultimately benefit our students in an increasingly interconnected world”.

[..] The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and it is open until 11.59pm on Monday 30 September. (Note - subscription required to access full article).

Senior phase study support

24 September 2024 (e-Sgoil)

Registration for e-Sgoil's 2024-25 Study Support programme is now open!

Open to senior phase students in Scotland working towards national qualifications, the weekly evening Study Support webinars during term time cover a wide range of subjects and levels. Supporting materials are also available.

Visit the website now to see the timetable and register for sessions starting from 28 October 2024.

SQA publishes 2024 National Qualifications course reports

23 September 2024 (SQA)

From today (Monday 23 September), SQA will start publishing its 2024 National Qualifications course reports.

The reports provide teachers and lecturers with a summary of how learners have performed in their exams and coursework for each subject at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level over the past year.

First reports published include ESOL and Latin. Remaining subject reports will be available by the end of October 2024.

Why languages should still matter to schools

20 September 2024 (TES)

As the summer came to a close, another generation of school leavers and graduates took their first steps into the world of work. As recent Tes Scotland analysis showed, however, fewer than ever before left with language qualifications.

There is a challenge, in a globalised world facing the climate crisis, to find opportunities for sustainable growth, while, despite Brexit, international trade remains crucial for Scottish businesses. But does the nation have the necessary skills?

There are promising signs: Scottish pupils performed highly on Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development measures of global competence, which assess learners’ ability to examine local, global and intercultural issues, engage in appropriate interactions across different cultures, and act for collective wellbeing and sustainable development.

These are foundations on which we can build, and having English as a first language is an asset for global business - but is it enough?

Scots and Gaelic teaching must be strengthened says report

19 September 2024 (The Herald)

Experts from the Council of Europe have urged authorities to strengthen the teaching of Gaelic and Scots in a new report.

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages report is based on information provided by governmental and non-governmental sources, including information obtained during a visit to the UK in February 2024.

The experts consulted on both Gaelic and Scots as part of their work.

The ECRML report highlighted census data and information received by its committee that the numbers of and percentages of speakers of Scottish Gaelic in the Highlands and Islands continued to decrease, while numbers of speakers in other parts of Scotland, particularly in urban areas, continue to grow, although they represent very small percentages of the population in those areas.

While programming is delivered in Gaelic on BBC Alba and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal, the former had a "high percentage of repeat programmes and (a) limited range of genres".

Moray physics teacher who found ‘whole new life’ as Gaelic lecturer appointed to UNESCO committee

19 September 2024 (The Northern Scot)

A Dutch mum’s “wild journey” from teaching secondary school physics to advising the United Nations about languages came after her Gaelic-learning “hobby” got “slightly out of hand”.

Ingeborg (Inge) Birnie, who lives in Knockando, moved to Moray from The Netherlands in the 1990s to study science at Moray College.

After graduating, she went on to teach physics at Milnes and Speyside High School.

However, Inge also started taking Gaelic evening classes through Moray College - kickstarting a passion which would shape her life for nearly two decades.

Fiestas and Celebrations in Scotland and Valencia

19 September 2024 (International School Partnerships Scotland)

Are you looking for something to engage your class and bring learning Spanish to life? Join us to explore traditions, culture and celebrations in both Spain and Scotland and connect with a Valencian school partner.

This is a highly motivating, inter-disciplinary project for young learners, combining language learning with expressive arts, technologies, social subjects and global citizenship. It can help young people become culturally aware, to learn about their own traditions and celebrations as well as those of others, and foster tolerance and understanding of diversity. Through collaborating and sharing with international partners, young people develop a variety of skills and abilities, including teamwork, creativity, problem solving, inter-cultural competences, leadership, organisation, linguistic confidence, and more.

How can I get involved?

This project is open to primary 5–7 learners and secondary S1–3 learners in any school offering Spanish language.

We are seeking to involve 10 schools in Scotland and 10 schools in Valencia. We will match you with a partner school to work with on collaborative activities over a 3 month period (November to February). Throughout this time, we will support you with curriculum related resources and a series of activities as you get to know your partner.

The project will involve a series of teacher webinars, introducing collaborative activities for classes to take part in, centred around traditional fiestas and celebrations. Young people will learn about traditions and festivals in their partner country, and will research their own cultural events in order to share them. Schools are expected to collaborate with their partner on these activities and share their work.

Want to take the partnership further? We will offer support to schools who wish to take their partnership further and apply for funding to enable a visit to Valencia.

To register your interest, please contact ISPScotland@outlook.com

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Spanish, Scotland, Cultural Diversity, Language Learning, Partnership Working, News from language & education organisations

Living Languages Series 2024-25

19 September 2024 (University of Strathclyde)

Welcome to Living Languages, a series of conversations organised by Languages@Strathclyde and focussing on the theme of employability.

The Living Languages series is an opportunity to hear from high-profile guests, and early career graduates, from a variety of sectors, talking about the role languages have played, and continue to play, in their professional lives.

For this season, we are very pleased to introduce a very exciting list of guests who will share their experiences of using languages in a professional setting. For each event, the relaxed conversation format will also allow audience participation.

Living Languages 2024-25 Programme

Tuesday 1 October, 5.30pm – From garage to global: building a successful language-based start-up
In conversation with Mark Pentleton, polyglot and CEO of Coffee Break Languages.
Tickets ► Eventbrite
Thursday 31 October, 5.30pm – Chasing your dreams abroad: playing the game in Paris
In conversation with Finn Russell, professional rugby player and captain of Scotland.
Tickets available now ► Eventbrite
Tuesday 26 November, 5.30pm TBC – Where are they now? Stories from recent graduates
In conversation with Tom Bell (Producer - Visual Radio – at the BBC), Marjorie Hogarth (Assistant Market Development Manager at Visit Scotland), Daniel Hayes (Sales and Account Manager at My Language Connection) and Kristina Bachtler, HR and Operations Manager at Coffee Break Languages.
Tickets available now ► Eventbrite
Monday 3 February, 5.30pm – A conversation with Amparo Fortuny, Producer and Filmmaker
The evening will also feature a screening of one of Amparo's films.
Tickets available now ► Eventbrite
Monday 25 February, 5.30pm – Multilingualism in Media: Providing a voice to a multicultural community
In conversation with Rhiannon J Davies, Editor-in-chief, Greater Govanhill magazine
Tickets available now ► Eventbrite

Posted in: Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Careers, Language Learning - Benefits, Language Learning for Work, Promoting Languages, Strathclyde University, News from language & education organisations

New workshop series: German x Politics

19 September 2024 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut Glasgow together with the University of the West of Scotland are offering 90-minute workshops to S4-6 classes with existing German knowledge. These sessions will be held at your school and will give students a first insight into Politics as a subject and explore the political landscape in both Germany and the UK.

Complete the expression of interest form to receive available dates for the workshops (between October - December 2024).

Strathclyde Language Ambassadors 2024/2025

19 September 2024 (University of Strathclyde)

Time to book your in-school visit!

At the University of Strathclyde, while fully supporting the SCILT’s monthly Language Ambassadors online sessions and Scotland's Languages Explorer's Programme, we are also offering on-site visits.

So, get your learners to discover the joys of engaging with a new culture and learning and being able to use another language by organising a visit from one of our Language Ambassadors teams to your school!

Our Language Ambassadors are students of French, Italian, Mandarin or Spanish, on various degrees, including BA Honours in French and Spanish, International Business and a Modern Language, Law and a Language but also Engineering and Science degrees and they are keen to share their experiences of learning and using their languages as well as discovering new cultures.

This programme is free of charge and provides student role models to promote languages to young people in your school. We aim to encourage your learners to engage with young adults who have decided to study languages at university and to have a positive impact on the number of learners who choose languages as part of their high school curriculum.

Language Ambassadors can deliver a range of activities, such as:

Presentation aimed at various levels about their experiences as university language learners, transitioning from school to university, and their experiences abroad, followed by a Q&A session about the benefits of studying languages;
‘Meet & Chat Sessions’ for Senior Phase students who have already selected a language;
Micro-presentations as part of a school-wide event.

Please visit the Strathclyde Language Ambassadors webpage or contact the programme leader Cédric Moreau to discover more and book a visit from a Strathclyde Language Ambassadors team in 2024/2025.

Workshops for teachers of French

19 September 2024 (Institut français)

Calling primary and secondary teachers teaching French across Scotland. Between September and November 2024, the Institut français d’Ecosse will be hosting free online workshops for you on 2 different themes on the following dates:

October 11, on the theme of Halloween
November 15, on the theme of Christmas

Objectives: Top up your French and/or boost your confidence with language, pronunciation tips and culture around the theme of Halloween.

Contents: Taylor-made practical classroom activities around listening, talking, reading and writing skills.

Visit the Institut français d'Ecosse website for additional information and registration.

Last chance to complete the first-ever Language Trends Scotland survey! Deadline Monday 30 September!

17 September 2024 (British Council)

Language Trends Scotland is an in-depth survey for all primary and secondary schools across the country. The research will provide an independent overview of the teaching of modern languages in Scotland.

The Language Trends series show general shifts in data and seek to provide a springboard for teachers, school leaders, academics, inspectors, policymakers, school pupils, and the public to consider aspects of language learning more deeply.

How to Participate:

We've designed the survey in collaboration with an expert panel in Scotland - the estimated time to complete is 15 minutes.

Ready to make your voice heard? Visit the British Council Language Trends Scotland webpage for more information and to complete the appropriate survey for your sector.

For any further information, please contact Jane Halstead - Jane.Halstead@britishcouncil.org

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival school programme

17 September 2024 (Consejería de Educación)

The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival 2024 takes place from 2-26 October!

The Spanish Embassy Education Office and the Consulate General of Spain in Edinburgh, who promote the teaching of Spanish language and culture in non-university education throughout the United Kingdom, are supporting the event with a programme for schools. This consists of the screening of two Spanish films: one in a face-to-face session in Edinburgh and the other accessible online for classroom viewing in schools in the UK.

‘The Teacher Who Promised the Sea’ - Screening in Edinburgh

The festival offers the opportunity for both students and teachers to attend an exclusive in-person screening of the film ‘El Maestro que Prometió el Mar’, directed by Patricia Font and nominated for 5 Goya awards in its last edition. The film was a great box office success in Spain with more than 270,000 spectators. The screening will take place on Wednesday 9 October at 10:30 am in the cinema hall of the Institut Français in Edinburgh.

View a trailer of the film on YouTube and read an authentic article about the true story of Antoni Benaiges that inspired the film’.

‘The Olive Tree’ - Online screening

The festival will also offer the possibility of facilitating access to all UK classrooms to watch the film ‘El Olivo’, directed by Icíar Bollaín in 2016 and the winner of a Goya award. To do so, it will only be necessary to request an access code that will allow secondary school classrooms to watch the film from 30 September to 4 October. The film will be accompanied by worksheets for the classroom.

View a trailer of the film on YouTube

Both films have been selected primarily for their pedagogical qualities, so we believe would be an excellent opportunity for secondary school students.

See the attached flyers for full details.

Related Files

Letter to secondary schools Teacher Who Promised.Edinburgh (251 KB)
Letter to secondary shools Olive Tree - Online (314 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, Spanish, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Winners of Scots Language Awards 2024 crowned at ceremony in Ayrshire

15 September 2024 (The Herald)

The winners of the Scots Language Awards 2024 have been crowned at a celebratory ceremony in Ayrshire.

Held at Cumnock Town Hall, in partnership with East Ayrshire Council, the sixth annual awards ceremony saw 13 individuals, projects and organisations celebrated for their contributions.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Language Explorers Scotland – registrations for 2024-25 are now open!

13 September 2024 (SCILT)

Registrations are now open for schools that would like to participate in this year’s Language Explorers Scotland mentoring programme. This programme aims to raise awareness amongst BGE secondary age learners of the far-reaching benefits of language learning by facilitating a short programme of discreet mentoring sessions led by university students with lived experiences of language learning and multiculturalism.

An information session for interested schools will take place on Tuesday 1 October from 4-5pm. To book your place at this information session and register your school’s interest in the LES programme, please complete this form by Monday 30 September. A link to the meeting will be shared with registered schools on the morning of Tuesday 1 October. Successful schools should anticipate hosting their languages mentoring sessions between mid-November and the end of February, in liaison with their mentor.

To access further information about the languages mentoring programme, including key dates, and to hear from last year’s student mentors, please visit the LES webpage.

Please note that this programme runs online, therefore it is imperative that interested schools have an adequate technical set-up and internet connection to allow for remote interactions between mentees and mentors. Geographical proximity to a university is not necessary.

Posted in: S1-S3, HE, All Languages, Scotland, Language Ambassadors, Partnership Working, SCILT news

Our World is back for 2024-25!

13 September 2024 (SCILT)

The popular SEET competition for Secondary School learners is being run by SCILT this year. This exciting inter-disciplinary project combines language learning with the art of filmmaking, bringing in aspects such as design, drama, sound and technology within the context of Learning for Sustainability.

Learners work in teams to create a storyboard for a film, based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals which, if successful they will be given the opportunity to work with a professional filmmaker and turn their ideas into a real short film which will be shown at the film screening showcase and awards ceremony. A great opportunity for budding filmmakers to use their language skills. Further details can be found on the Our World webpage and to find out more, sign up via the link below to come along to our information session on Thursday 26 September!

Maths Week Scotland 2024 - Maths wi nae Borders challenge

13 September 2024 (Maths Week Scotland)

Maths Week Scotland takes place 23-29 September 2024 with the theme Maths Tales, looking at how Maths is used to tell stories.

During the week a range of challenges are available to schools for pupils to test their numeracy, logic and creativity skills.

Maths wi nae Borders is inspired by the annual Mathématiques sans Frontières contest, this mini-competition combines a language element and is for any class to complete together.

The Maths wi nae Borders challenge opens on 16 September.

CCEd in French at the University of Strathclyde

10 September 2024 (University of Strathclyde)

Are you interested in upskilling your French to GTCS-accredited standard? Then this could be the course for you!

The Certificate of Continuing Education (CCEd) is an intensive beginners’ class that will bring you up to first-year university standard in a year, with the option of continuing your studies into second year and up to university pass degree level within three years.

Classes will be in person on campus in Glasgow during term time.

Further information and application details will be advertised via the SCILT bulletin and SCILT website and the University of Strathclyde website and communication channels.

For more information and to register your interest, the course contact is Joan-Emilie Lefever-Rhodes (joan.lefever@strath.ac.uk).

Posted in: French, Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Strathclyde University, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Lingobox Learning: New French course for teachers!

6 September 2024 (Lingobox Learning)

We are delighted to announce our first full French course for teachers, starting on Tuesday 29 October. This course is designed to empower teachers at all levels of French to develop French language skills and build confidence by working with you to create a personalised learning plan which works for you!

All sessions will be live and online every Tuesday (29.10.24 – 03.12.24) from 19.30 – 20.30 and then recorded and shared so you can access in your own time if you prefer. All school subscribers to Lingobox will have full access to course materials as ongoing.

The course also includes a full 2-months individual account access to Lingobox!

The course will cover:

Teaching primary French: Learn about the key aspects of primary French language learning and create a personalised learning and teaching plan which works for you!
A guide to French phonics: Your go to guide for understanding and teaching French phonics.
Language learning topics: How to plan for, learn and teach your choice of French topic language (e.g. weather, dates, numbers, school subjects, opinions etc.) in a quick and effective way.
Embedding language into practice: Simple and effective strategies for embedding language into classroom practice including classroom instructions, recycling topic language and some fun French interjections!
Planning across the curriculum: Explore how to maximise French learning by including language as a part of all interdisciplinary learning.
Planning language learning: Empower yourself with a French language learning plan which is progressive, meaningful and which builds skills and confidence. This session will also look at upcoming cultural contexts and will share a range of exciting ideas which you can pick up and use in class!

To find out more visit the Lingobox Learning website.

Please note, all school subscribers to Lingobox will have full access to course materials as ongoing (Early bird annual subscription price of just £150 for a 1-year school subscription available until the end of September 2024!).

Existing individual Lingobox subscribers will be contacted with a course discount code if you would like to add this course onto your subscription.

All course participants will receive a certificate on completion of the course.

Any questions, please contact ann@lingoboxlearning.com.

FilmG - Gaelic short film competition

5 September 2024 (FilmG)

The annual FilmG competition is now open!

With two distinct competitionss for Under-18s and Over-18s, participants are challenged to create Gaelic-language films under five minutes in length.

In a change to previous formats, filmmakers are no longer being asked to create a film based on a theme – entries are instead open to the creative license of any subject.

Visit the FilmG website for full details and submit entries by 9 December 2024.

New Exhibition ‘Eric Liddell and Weifang’

5 September 2024 (Eric Liddell Community)

The Eric Liddell Community has announced a new exhibition, ‘Eric Liddell and Weifang’, organised by the Weihsien West Civilians Concentration Camp Site Museum, showcasing the life and legacy of Eric Liddell – a Scottish Olympic gold medallist and missionary – and his time at the Weihsien Concentration Camp in China during World War II.

The free-to-attend and bilingual exhibition, which launched on Thursday 22 August, will run until Saturday 14 September and sits within the South Wing of The Eric Liddell Community in the heart of Bruntsfield, Edinburgh. Visitors can expect to see for the first time information and photographs to gain insights into how Eric Liddell is remembered and honoured in Weifang, China. It also highlights the deep historical and cultural connections between Scotland and China.

Posted in: Chinese, Scotland, News from language & education organisations

Story of Stone of Destiny celebrated in new Gaelic play

4 September 2024 (The Herald)

Meanbh-chuileag, Fèisean nan Gàidheal's theatre-in-education service for Second Level Gaelic Medium pupils, is back on tour with a new story about the history of the Stone of Destiny and its removal from Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day in 1950.

The tour of new play Cà' Deach a' Chlach? (Where Did the Stone Go?) is visiting more than 35 primary schools across the country this year, from Edinburgh to Tiree and Daliburgh to Kilmarnock.

Cà' Deach a' Chlach?, which takes its title from a well-known Gaelic song composed by Dòmhnall Ruadh Phàislig (Donald MacIntyre, the Paisley Bard), focuses on two characters who were instrumental in the plot to return the Stone of Destiny to Scotland, Ian Hamilton and Kay Matheson, a Gaelic speaking primary school teacher originally from Inverasdale by Loch Ewe.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Upcoming offers from the Goethe-Institut

3 September 2024 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut offers a range of initiatives to support the teaching and learning of German in schools. The following opportunities are available during the coming term. Follow the appropriate link to find out more:

Debating competition - the successful debating competition for secondary schools in the United Kingdom is finally returning! This is a great opportunity for students to actively use the German language in an authentic setting, debating social and cultural issues, while getting to know other secondary school students from across the United Kingdom. Rounds take place between November and March. Apply by 19 October 2024.
Young Goethe Ambassadors - would you like to motivate your students to keep studying German? Invite our Young Goethe Ambassadors into your classroom. Our ambassadors are young German learners who can hold presentations about their experience with German and run small games depending on your needs.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, German, Scotland, Language Ambassadors, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

Map reveals ancient Scottish forests that left only their names behind

30 August 2024 (Yahoo News)

They are the ancient names of Scotland’s wild place, though many have been lost beneath urban sprawl or obscured to the mists of time.

But now a project is making the country’s forgotten forests visible again, helping people to better understand the landscape and its relationship to nature.

A map is being dawn up identifying all the places whose names reflect historic woods and trees, which are often derived from Gaelic, Norse, Scots and possibly the language of the Picts.

The scheme, dubbed Forgotten Woodlands, is being a partnership between NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland and Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba - the national advisory partnership for Gaelic place-names.

It has set out to map all Scottish place-names with the potential to reveal their historical woodland coverage, hopefully inspiring landowners and communities to think of the native trees their land used to support, and consider how they might wish to restore its ecological value for the future.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

Exciting opportunity to internationalise your curriculum!

30 August 2024 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to offer all primary and secondary state schools the opportunity to have a Chinese language assistant teacher in their school/cluster free of charge in 2024-25!

Your teacher could help deliver L3 Mandarin to primary and BGE classes, lead IDL projects such as Eco Learning Partners (ELP) organise live-link ups with Chinese schools, team teach with Virtual Exchange Teachers (VETs), team teach with your own staff, work with small groups for speaking activities, support senior phase learners with preparation for NQs alongside the Discovering China programme. This exciting opportunity could complement or supplement any existing Mandarin provision you have. Having a Mandarin language assistant teacher could revolutionise your L3 provision this year.

For more information contact karen.liddle@strath.ac.uk for more details.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Foreign Language Assistants, Language Learning, Language Teaching, SCILT news

Themed French workshops for teachers

29 August 2024 (Institut français)

Calling primary and secondary teachers teaching French across Scotland. Between September and November 2024, the Institut français d’Ecosse will be hosting free online workshops for you on 3 different themes on the following dates:

September 13, on the theme of European Day of languages
October 11, on the theme of Halloween
November 15, on the theme of Christmas

Objectives: Top up your French and/or boost your confidence with language, pronunciation tips and culture around the theme of Halloween.

Contents: Tailor-made practical classroom activities around listening, talking, reading and writing skills.

Visit the Institut français d'Ecosse website for additional information and registration.

Registration extended for the Scots Language Teacher CPD Course

29 August 2024 (Open University)

We have extended the deadline for all interested in-service practitioners teaching at any level in a Scottish school to register on the second presentation of the Scots Language Masters-level teacher CPD programme starting on 2 September 2024. The online programme is hosted by the Open University in Scotland and designed and delivered in partnership with Education Scotland and Banff Academy.

Through Scottish Government funding we are able to offer free places for all interested teachers on this exciting professional learning opportunity bringing together practitioners from across Scotland.

Teachers on the programme will be able to gain a GTCS professional recognition award for their study.

Visit the course landing page for more information and the online registration form.

The deadline to register and be one of only the second cohort of teachers to study the course has been extended to Monday 2 September 2024. Notifications to confirm places and instructions on how to access the programme will be issued as soon as possible after teachers have signed up.

For those who either already have some CPD commitments for the start of the coming academic year, of would prefer to have more time before committing, you are able to indicate whether you’d prefer to start studying in September 2024 or January 2025 in the online form.

OU TELT course – still time to register!

29 August 2024 (Open University)

Teachers Learning to Teach languages (TELT) aims to increase and improve language provision in primary schools. Teachers simultaneously learn a new language and the skills to teach that language in the classroom. The programme carries the GTCS professional recognition award, and can count towards the University of Strathclyde’s Masters in Education as accredited prior learning.

Available languages are French, German, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

A webinar on the programme was held in June and a recording of that information session can be found on the Open University YouTube channel.

Registration for the programme commencing October 2024 closes on 5 September.

Visit the Open University’s TELT website at the link below for more information.

‘Entitlement’ to languages met by falling number of Scottish schools

27 August 2024 (TES)

New research shows that the Scottish government remains some distance from fully implementing a crucial language-learning policy for schools, three years on from the original deadline of August 2021 - and that some key measures are moving in the wrong direction.

The research, published by the government, shows that almost all primary schools are delivering some kind of language learning from P1 - when historically this would not have taken place until upper primary.

Credited for the change is the government’s so-called 1+2 languages policy, which says pupils should begin learning a second language when they start primary school. This language (L2) should be taught consistently from P1-S3, with a third language (L3) introduced from P5.

The government had initially committed to delivering the 1+2 languages policy by August 2021.

However, around a third (31 per cent) of primary schools describe the teaching of the second language as “partial”, with 68 per cent saying they are delivering the entitlement in full.

Meanwhile, 39 per cent of secondaries describe their second language offer in S1-3 as “partial” - with 61 per cent saying they are offering the entitlement in full.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Posted in: Scotland, 1+2, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Register your interest in our Mandarin Virtual Exchange Teacher programme

27 August 2024 (SCILT)

Scottish schools can now register interest in the next block of the Mandarin Virtual Exchange Teacher programme, running from w/c 28 October until w/c 16 December. Over eight weeks, classes will be allocated a pair of student teachers who will work with their class to deliver weekly live streamed Mandarin lessons. The project provides classes for beginner level 1, 2, & 3. The courses are suitable as L3 provision for BGE pupils in P5-7, as well as being suitable for Secondary BGE learners.

There will be an online information meeting (with a choice of two dates on either 12 or 16 September), to give an overview of the course and what is required of Scottish class teachers. Attendance at an information meeting is a requirement to participate in the programme, with the exception of teachers who have previously attended an information session and/or taken part in the VET programme within the last year. Teachers who are new to the programme are required to attend the meeting, even if the school has taken part previously.

You can find more information about the programme, as well as a link to register your interest and attendance at an information meeting (if required), on the Virtual Exchange Teacher project website.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, SCILT news

British Council Scotland has launched the first-ever Language Trends Scotland survey

27 August 2024 (British Council)

Language Trends Scotland is an in-depth survey for all primary and secondary schools across the country. The research will provide an independent overview of the teaching of modern languages in Scotland.

The Language Trends series show general shifts in data and seek to provide a springboard for teachers, school leaders, academics, inspectors, policymakers, school pupils, and the public to consider aspects of language learning more deeply.

How to Participate:

We've designed the survey in collaboration with an expert panel in Scotland - the estimated time to complete is 15 minutes.

Ready to make your voice heard? Click the relevant link below to start the survey for your school:

Language Trends Scotland joins a suite of language trends research conducted across the UK and by taking the survey, you'll contribute to a wealth of data that spans over two decades, offering unique insights into the evolution of language education across the UK.

Visit the British Council's Language Trends Research webpage to find out more.

You can also sign up to British Council Scotland's Education newsletter.

Posted in: All Languages, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Language Trends Survey (CILT), News from language & education organisations

Scots Language Awards: See full list of nominees as voting opens

26 August 2024 (The National)

Broadcaster Billy Kay, poet Len Pennie, and a Robert Burns Museum have all been nominated for a prestigious Scots Language Award.

The beloved museum has been nominated for Scots Cultural Project of the Year, while Kay and Pennie have picked up nomination for their books at the Scots Language Awards 2024.

The ceremony will take place on September 14 in Cumnock Town Hall in Ayrshire, the birthplace of the Bard himself.

The Scots Language Awards were founded in 2019 to celebrate the Scots leid, one of the country's three indigenous languages, and those who help to champion its continued use in daily life.

There are 12 awards at the ceremony and over 50 nominees from individuals to organisations and cultural initiatives.

Voting is open until Sunday 8 September.

Posted in: Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press, Scots

RZSS Science in the Language Class

22 August 2024 (RZSS)

There are still some opportunities for FREE in-person outreach sessions aimed at P5-P7 level across Scotland. The projects link to Spanish and French. Both programmes cover some basic greetings, numbers, colours, body parts etc in the relevant language.

Spanish - learn more about the giant armadillo, the giant anteater and the two-toed sloth from South America.
French - learn about the Partula snail story in the French Polynesia Islands.

Visit the Science in the Language Class webpage for more information and contact srobb@rzss.org.uk to book.

Call for trainee language teachers to be given 'a golden handshake'

18 August 2024 (The Herald)

Students should be offered 'golden handshakes' to encourage them to train as high school modern languages teachers, according to a Scottish Conservative leadership hopeful.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

OU TELT course - still time to register!

16 August 2024 (Open University)

Teachers Learning to Teach languages (TELT) aims to increase and improve language provision in primary schools. Teachers simultaneously learn a new language and the skills to teach that language in the classroom. The programme carries the GTCS professional recognition award, and can count towards the University of Strathclyde’s Masters in Education as accredited prior learning.

Available languages are French, German, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

A webinar on the programme was held in June and a recording of that information session can be found on YouTube.

Registration for the programme commencing October 2024 closes on 5 September.

Visit the Open University’s TELT website at the link below for more information.

Language Explorers Scotland – watch this space 2024-25 registrations!

15 August 2024 (SCILT)

Session 2023-24 saw the first national roll-out of Language Explorers Scotland (formerly Scotland’s Languages Explorers Programme, SLEP), a flagship languages mentoring project run by SCILT in partnership with UCFLS. This mentoring programme was inspired by the success of similar mentoring programmes in the UK. Language Explorers Scotland (LES) aims to raise awareness amongst BGE secondary age learners of the far-reaching benefits of language learning by facilitating a short programme of mentoring sessions led by university students with lived experiences of language learning and multiculturalism.

Similar projects currently running in Wales and other parts of the UK have demonstrated that small group work with a student mentor can have a positive impact on learners in school, and lead to an increase in the number of learners continuing with languages into higher levels of study.

LES 2024-25 will run in partnership with universities across Scotland, including the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, Stirling, Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt University and the Open University. Interested schools can find out more about the mentoring programme and hear from last year’s student mentors on the Language Explorers Scotland webpage.

This programme runs online, therefore it is imperative that interested schools have an adequate technical set-up and internet connection to allow for remote interactions between mentees and mentors. Geographical proximity to a university is not necessary. Further information, including key dates, can be found on the programme webpage. Registrations of interest will open in late September and the live link will be published in the SCILT weekly ebulletin and on the LES webpage. Successful schools should anticipate hosting their languages mentoring sessions between mid-November and the end of February, in liaison with their mentors.

Moving Forward with Languages 2024-25

15 August 2024 (SCILT)

Following feedback from interested schools, SCILT has adapted the proposed format of the “Moving Forward with Languages 2024-25” conference days. These will now be as follows:

Wednesday 11 September – in-person only conference day held at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow
Wednesday 11 December – online only conference day

The conference workshops will be delivered in collaboration with colleagues in university languages departments across Scotland and are aimed at Higher and Advanced Higher language learners and their teachers! Please note that places for the September conference will be limited to 8 places per school (including staff).

The second conference day, held online, will take place on Wednesday 11 December. Registrations for this event will open in October.

Workshops at both conference days will cover a range of languages, and learners will have the chance to gather advice and tips on the languages that they are learning right now and get a flavour of what it is like to study languages at university level.

Registrations for the September in-person conference day at the University of Strathclyde will open on Friday 23 August via the SCILT ebulletin.

Please note that, due to SCILT’s funding conditions and the physical capacity restrictions of the in-person conference day, attendance at the September event is open to state schools only. Independent schools will be able to register for the online conference day in December.

Posted in: Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages - Higher Education, Partnership Working

Polish classes for teachers: An introduction to Polish language and culture

15 August 2024 (The Polish Social and Educational Society)

Teachers, how would you like to learn some basic Polish from a native Polish speaker? Would you like to give it a go? Read on and see if this language learning opportunity might just be thing for you!

The Polish Social and Educational Society in Glasgow will be running a series of online Polish language classes for teachers in the new term. The classes, led by a Polish native speaker, are designed to provide an introduction to Polish language and culture to support teachers working across all sectors. Whether it’s supporting Polish being taught as an L3 or engaging with Polish pupils and their families, our classes will provide you with some useful phrases and basic grammar to help with this.

The classes will be led by Ania Trusewicz. Ania is an experienced teacher of teaching Polish as a foreign language and is looking forward to welcoming teachers to her online classes in September. Anna has shared some information about her background and experience.

"Cześć! My name is Ania. I am Trilingual. I have completed my teaching course as a teacher of foreign language at University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Toruń (Poland) in 2006. Since moving to Glasgow in 2008 I have been teaching many students both face-to-face and online. I also hold a degree from University of Glasgow (Social Science). I teach with passion and great enthusiasm. My lessons are funny and interesting. I take care of each of my students and make sure that Polish lessons at Sikorski Polish Club are adapted to various levels and individual needs of my students. In my classes I have students who are coming from different professional backgrounds. I will be happy to see you at our online classes!”

Please note the following:

Online classes will begin on Monday 16September
Classes will run on Mondays from 4 – 5pm
6-week block - one hour lesson per week
All classes are online and will be hosted on Zoom
There will be a charge of £20 for a block of 6 lessons
Open to all teachers

We look forward to welcoming you to our online Polish classes in September. For more information and to register your place, please email secretary@sikorskipolishclub.org.uk.

Posted in: Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations, Polish

Upcoming Online Team Teaching for Languages - Live Lessons available for French, Gaelic and Spanish

15 August 2024 (Argyll & Bute Council)

This offer is open to all Scottish primary schools using Glow Teams. Teachers learn alongside their pupils in real time and are supported to lead the learning in their own class. The lesson structure alternates between short bursts of direct teaching from the online teacher, followed by the class teachers leading their own class in a game. This format allows the learning to remain active and fully engage the learners. These courses provide on the job professional learning and help teachers make the time for languages in the curriculum.

Each lesson lasts approximately 40 minutes and will take place via GLOW Teams. All resources will be available to download in advance of the session and will be stored in the GLOW Team.

Suitable for P4-7 classes. Please sign up via the Live Lessons 2024-25 link.

Registration now open for the Scots Language Teacher CPD Course

13 August 2024 (Open University)

We are inviting all interested in-service practitioners teaching at any level in a Scottish school to register on the second presentation of the Scots Language Masters-level teacher CPD programme starting on 2 September 2024. The online programme is hosted by the Open University in Scotland and designed and delivered in partnership with Education Scotland and Banff Academy.

Through Scottish Government funding we are able to offer free places for all interested teachers on this exciting professional learning opportunity bringing together practitioners from across Scotland.

Teachers on the programme will be able to gain a GTCS professional recognition award for their study.

Follow this link to the course landing page for more information and the online registration form: OLCreate: Scots language teacher CPD programme (open.edu).

The deadline to register and be one of only the second cohort of teachers to study the course is Wednesday 28 August 2024. Notifications to confirm places and instructions on how to access the programme will be issued by Friday 30 August 2024.

For those who either already have some CPD commitments for the start of the coming academic year, of would prefer to have more time before committing, you are able to indicate whether you’d prefer to start studying in September 2024 or January 2025 in the above online form.

French for Teachers

13 August 2024 (Alliance Française)

The course from Alliance Française Glasgow is aimed at secondary school French teachers and consists of a mix of conversation and grammar. The idea is to discuss current affairs and contemporary topics of France and French speaking countries but also to offer grammar refreshers for the B2 level.

The course will start on 16 September. The classes will last for 2 hours and will take place every two weeks. Most of the classes will be online with an on-site version every 4 weeks in order for participants to meet in person.

Visit the Alliance Française website for full details and to book.

École Buissonnière Glasgow vacancy

13 August 2024 (École Buissonnière )

The École Buissonnière in Glasgow is currently seeking a native French-speaking primary teacher to join their team in September 2024.

The school is organised by the Association des Parents Francophones with the main aim of providing French language support to bilingual children in the Scottish education system to help them move towards independent reading and writing in French. Classes take place on Saturday mornings from 10:00 to 12:20 except during school holidays at Notre Dame Primary School.

See the attached flyer for more information and application details.

Related Files

Ecole Buisonniere 2024 (148 KB)

Posted in: Primary, French, Scotland, Language Teaching

Opportunities from Goethe-Institut

6 August 2024 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut offers a range of initiatives to support the teaching and learning of German in schools. The following opportunities are available during the coming term. Follow the appropriate link to find out more:

For pupils

Debating competition - a chance for teams of four S5 learners of German to actively use the German language in an authentic setting whilst meeting other students from across the UK. Rounds take place between November and March. Apply by 19 October 2024.
Discover Careers with German - online business lunch series of live conversations with different people from the world of work whose careers have been shaped by learning German. Aimed at secondary learners, upcoming sessions in October, November and December 2024.
Young Goethe Ambassadors - would you like to motivate your students to keep studying German? Invite our Young Goethe Ambassadors into your classroom. Our ambassadors are young German learners who can hold presentations about their experience with German and run small games depending on your needs.

For teachers

German Teachers' Day for Primary School Teachers - in-person event at the Goethe-Institut Glasgow, 14 September 2024, 10:00-16:00. Register by 6 September.
German Teachers' Day for Secondary School Teachers - in-person event at the Goethe-Institut Glasgow, 14 September 2024, 10:00-16:00. Register by 6 September.
Elevate your Teaching - in Berlin! - fully-funded pedagogical training course for secondary teachers taking place in Berlin 10-16 November 2024. Apply by 31 August.
Let's Give German a Go - in Berlin! - fully-funded trip to Berlin 10-16 November for primary and secondary school teachers and head teachers that is geared towards introducing German in schools or strengthening its status. Apply by 31 August.
Teaching German to Children with Felix and Franzi - six-week online training course commencing 9 September teaches educators to effectively incorporate “German with Felix & Franzi” into primary education. Experience interactive learning and enrich your teaching through peer collaboration. Register by 3 September.
Online seminar series "Communication in the Classroom" - sign up for further online sessions in the series in the autumn. These will include: "Using the target language in the classroom" (10 September) and "Feedback in German lessons" (21 October).

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, German, Scotland, Careers, CPD, Language Learning, Language Learning for Work, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

French courses with the Institut français - Autumn 2024

6 August 2024 (Institut français)

Your French journey starts with us! Discover the Institut français d'Ecosse new courses: French drama club, French songs, and much more.

SQA exam results: the attainment gap widens

6 August 2024 (TES)

Annual Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) results data has been published today.

SQA exam results for 2024 have led to overall A-C pass rates for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher dropping across the board when compared with 2023.

At Higher the A-C pass rate was 74.9 per cent this year compared with 77.1 per cent in 2023 (74.8 per cent in 2019).

The disadvantage-related attainment gap widened at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher; the gap is now slightly wider than it was in 2019.

[..] This year is being hailed a record-breaking year for achievement of vocational qualifications [..] in areas such as mental health and wellbeing, computer games development, sports and fitness, employability, personal finance and modern languages.

French language teacher training

1 August 2024 (Institut français)

Wishing to support French language teachers in primary schools across Scotland the Institut français d’Ecosse offers 3 free 2-hours online courses on 3 different themes on the following dates:

September 13, on the theme of European Day of languages
October 11, on the theme of Halloween
November 15, on the theme of Christmas

Objectives: Top up your French and/or boost your confidence with language, pronunciation tips and culture around the themes.

Contents: Taylor-made practical classroom activities around listening, talking, reading and writing skills.

More information and registration on the Institut français website.

Urgent support needed for Gaelic language - report

24 July 2024 (BBC)

Gaelic in Scotland is in a "perilous state" and more needs to be done to "urgently support" language speakers, a Holyrood committee has warned.

The Scottish government has introduced the Scottish Languages Bill which aims to support both the Gaelic and Scots languages.

But members of the Scottish Parliament's education committee have warned that the new legislation's aims may not be achieved unless government support goes further.

In a new report scrutinising the bill, MSPs said that ministers needed to do more for the legislation to "make any meaningful difference rather than simply being symbolic".

The report comes as figures from the 2022 census in Scotland showed just 0.1% of people said Gaelic was their main language.

The survey found that 2.5% of people aged three and over had some skills in Gaelic in 2022, an increase of about 50% on the figures for 2011 and 2001.

Call for public to put forward nominees for Scots Language Awards

22 July 2024 (The National)

The Scottish public are being called on to nominate their Scots language heroes ahead of a national awards ceremony.

Arts organisation Hands Up For Trad is calling on people to put forward their Scots language champions for national recognition as nominations for the Scots Language Awards are now open.

The ceremony celebrates Scots in daily life, education, business arts and culture and will take place in Cumnock Town Hall on September 14 as the awards travel to Ayrshire for the first time.

Nominations are open until Sunday 4 August.

Posted in: Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press, Scots

Moving Forward with Languages Conference – Save the date!

20 June 2024 (SCILT)

Building on the success of the “Moving Forward with Languages” workshop series, SCILT has teamed up with languages departments from universities across Scotland to run not one, but two language conference days specifically for Higher and Advanced Higher language learners and their teachers!

Registrations will open in August for the first conference day, which will take place on Wednesday 11 September at the University of Strathclyde. The second conference day will take place in early December and the date will be confirmed early in the new session.

Both conference days will feature an in-person programme for those who can attend physically, and a separate online programme for those who would like to attend virtually. Workshops will cover a range of languages, and learners will have the chance to gather advice and tips on the languages that they are learning right now and get a flavour of what it is like to study languages at university level.

If you would like to receive more information about these conferences after the summer break, please register your interest via the form link below.

European Day of Languages - Save the date!

20 June 2024 (Institut français)

On Friday 27 September the Institut français d’Ecosse, together with European consulates and cultural organisations, will be celebrating European Day for Languages in Edinburgh with morning activities aimed at S2 and S3 pupils and two conferences in the afternoon. One of the conferences will focus on how European writers foster creativity and ‘out of the box’ thinking style through language and the other on multilingualism and creativity. They will be followed by a cocktail.

Watch this space for further information to come late August!

You can also contact Charlotte Hyvernaud, Education attachée, Institut français d’Ecosse : charlotte.hyvernaud@institut-francais.org.uk

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

Teaching bursary in Scotland - Modern languages now eligible!

20 June 2024 (Teaching Bursary in Scotland)

The Teaching Bursary Scheme is open to individuals wishing to undertake a one-year PGDE ITE course in Scotland that leads to the award of registered teacher status in Scotland's hardest-to-fill teaching subjects.

This year's eligbile teaching subjects include Modern Languages at secondary level and Gaelic at both secondary and primary.

Teaching Bursary in Scotland 2024 will be open for applications shortly. Visit the website for more information.

Concours de la francophonie 2025 - now open!

20 June 2024 (Institut français)

The 'Concours de la francophonie' : an annual rendez-vous for schools!

The 'Concours de la francophonie' is organised every year by the Institut français d’Ecosse since its creation in 2016.

For the 2025 edition, there will be two competitions:

One for primary school pupils
One for secondary school pupils

For the first time the competition associates the Institut français d’Ecosse with the French Film Festival UK Learning Programme (FFF UK).

All primary and secondary schools in Scotland offering French and participating in the French Film Festival UK Learning Programme will be eligible to enter the 'Concours de la francophonie', in line with the rules. Submission deadline: 15 January 2025.

Visit the 'Concours de la francophonie' website for full details.

Ancient Voices Summer School 2024

18 June 2024 (Classical Association of Scotland)

The Classical Association of Scotland is thrilled to open registration for the 2024 Ancient Voices Summer Programme!

The Summer School will be held online (via Zoom) from Monday 8 July to Sunday 4 August. As in previous years, CAS aims to offer a range of courses at different levels, representing a friendly, cost-effective and low-pressure environment for learners to enjoy engaging with languages of the ancient past.

Core Latin and Greek options will once again be supplemented with Aramaic, Hebrew, Hieroglyphs, Sumerian and Ugaritic, offering participants a rare opportunity to try some lesser taught languages. There is also the School to University course which aims to provide students with an overview of the opportunities, challenges and expectations connected to the study of Classics subjects at university level.

Visit the Ancient Voices Summer Programme website for full details and to register by 30 June.

NEW! BSL case study now published

18 June 2024 (SCILT / Education Scotland / BDA)

SCILT, Education Scotland and the British Deaf Association (BDA) have developed a case study that provides an insight into the experiences and challenges of Deaf young people in Scotland attending secondary school, college, or university. The case study focuses on what supported the Deaf young people to effectively engage and achieve in an educational setting. It also considers the benefits and opportunities of having Deaf and hearing parents involved in the wider life of the school and how they engaged in their child’s learning.

This case study highlights the need for understanding the opportunities, challenges, and experiences that Deaf young people can face in education. It also provides an insight into what supportive approaches allow them to engage in their learning which, is key to improving their outcomes.

In addition to the case study, there are reflective questions to help practitioners consider their practice in relation to the experiences and challenges of Deaf children and young people attending school, college, or university in Scotland.

SCILT CLPL workshop menu 2024-25

16 August 2024 (SCILT)

Box fresh and open for bookings! SCILT’s menu of CLPL group workshops for 2024-25.

Up-to-date and interactive, SCILT workshops for teachers are a great way for you and your colleagues to explore aspects of languages pedagogy with our experienced Professional Development Officers.

If you are the person in your department, school, cluster or local authority with a remit to source high quality subject specific professional learning for colleagues, then you will definitely be interested in our brand new menu of CLPL workshops.

For 2024-25, our carefully designed inputs cover a variety of topics related to the learning and teaching of languages:

Primary and Early Years

First steps in teaching primary modern languages
Valuing linguistic diversity in schools, with families
Bringing the languages content to primary interdisciplinary learning
Making assessment in primary languages active and accessible
Give careers education a languages twist for your primary pupils

Secondary

Teaching Sprints – Small change, big impact
Social-Emotional learning for languages
Talking and listening
Reading and writing
BYOW: Build your own workshop

We are always happy to accommodate bespoke CLP requests too. Whatever your colleagues need, just ask and we will design a workshop with tailored content, just for them.

For more detail about the menu, and to book one or more workshop for the group of teachers that you support, see the professional learning request form.

Awards ceremony for indigenous Scots language returns

13 June 2024 (The Herald)

An awards ceremony celebrating the indigenous Scots Language will return this year for it’s fifth outing.

The Scots Language Awards 2024, organised by Hands up for Trad, launches today on the Scottish Poetry Library’s ‘Gie’s a Scots Poem Day’, in a bid to highlight the importance of the Scots language in daily life, education, business, arts, and culture.

For the first time, the awards ceremony will be hosted in Ayrshire at Cumnock Town Hall on Saturday 14 September, with the opportunity to nominate an individual or organisation available next month.

Celebrating figures who champion the Scots language, categories at the sixth annual Scots Language Awards will include Scots Business of the Year, Scots Writer of the Year, Scots Teacher of the Year and the widely regarded Janet Paisley Services to Scots Award.

As one of Scotland’s three indigenous languages, organisers say Scots is a growing tongue. The latest census saw the number of people in Scotland with some skills in Scots increase to over 46 per cent, with speakers spanning several dialects, including Doric, and stretching across regions from the Borders to Orkney.

Posted in: Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press, Scots

CCEd in French at the University of Strathclyde

13 June 2024 (University of Strathclyde)

Are you interested in upskilling your French to GTCS-accredited standard? Then this could be the course for you!

The Certificate of Continuing Education (CCEd) is an intensive beginners’ class that will bring you up to first-year university standard in a year, with the option of continuing your studies into second year and up to university pass degree level within three years.

Classes will be in person on campus in Glasgow during term time.

Further information and application details will be advertised via the SCILT bulletin and SCILT website and the University of Strathclyde website and communication channels.

For more information and to register your interest, the course contact is Joan-Emilie Lefever-Rhodes (joan.lefever@strath.ac.uk).

Posted in: French, Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Teachers of German in Scotland (TOGS)

16 August 2024 (SCILT)

Suzanne Ritchie, Professional Development Officer at SCILT, is reaching out to German teachers to join a network for Teachers of German in Scotland (TOGS). This network aims to build a community to share experiences, practice and ideas, to highlight initiatives and potential partnerships, and to build support to enable German to grow in Scottish schools.

If you are a teacher of German in a primary or secondary school in Scotland (either currently teaching it or keen to introduce it) and you are interested in receiving more information in the months ahead, please add your name to the mailing list. Suzanne will be in touch with more information after the summer break.

Posted in: German, Scotland, Language Teaching, SCILT news

Enseignant.e FLE spécialiste cours enfants et adolescents

10 June 2024 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is looking to recruit a teacher specialising in courses for children and young people to start September 2024.

Visit the Alliance Française website for the job specification and application details.

Language Explorers Scotland – watch this space for 2024-25!

10 June 2024 (SCILT)

Session 2023-24 saw the first national roll-out of Language Explorers Scotland (formerly known as Scotland's Languages Explorers Programme, SLEP), a flagship languages mentoring project run by SCILT in partnership with UCFLS. This mentoring programme was inspired by the success of similar mentoring programmes in the UK. Language Explorers Scotland aims to raise awareness amongst BGE secondary age learners of the far-reaching benefits of language learning by facilitating a short programme of mentoring sessions led by university students with lived experiences of language learning and multiculturalism.

Similar projects currently running in Wales and other parts of the UK have demonstrated that small group work with a student mentor can have a positive impact on learners in school, and lead to an increase in the number of learners continuing with languages into higher levels of study.

Language Explorers Scotland 2024-25 will run in partnership with universities across Scotland, including the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, Stirling, Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt University and the Open University. Interested schools can find out more about the mentoring programme and hear from last year’s student mentors on our Language Explorers Scotland webpage.

Please be aware that this programme runs online, therefore it is imperative that interested schools have an adequate technical set-up and internet connection to allow for remote interactions between mentees and mentors. Geographical proximity to a university is not necessary. Further information, including key dates, can be found on the programme webpage where registrations of interest will open in September and the live link will be published. Successful schools should anticipate hosting their languages mentoring sessions between mid-November and the end of February, in liaison with their mentors.

Award-winning language expert hosts learning event for Scots teachers

5 June 2024 (Aberdeen Business News)

Modern language teachers across Scotland will have the opportunity to hear from world renowned language specialist, Gianfranco Conti at an innovative training event which turns traditional language teaching on its head. The full-day of immersive learning will take place at St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen on June 12th from 9am and will equip primary and secondary language teachers with practical learning and teaching activities, encouraging them to use the language specialists’ techniques effectively within their classrooms.

Posted in: Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, Languages in the press

Bilingualism in autism intervention study

4 June 2024 (University of Edinburgh)

The University of Edinburgh and Queen Margaret University are researching bilingualism and autism. We have developed a new, high-quality, research-backed resource hub on this topic and are currently running a study to test how effective it is. It involves two brief online questionnaires, one month apart. After the final questionnaire participants can enter a prize draw to win one of three £10 vouchers! The whole thing should only take a few minutes of your time, but it will really help us to understand the impact of these resources, and to improve them where we can!

We are looking for any professionals who may work with autistic children in bilingual families, such as SLTs, teachers, GPs and psychologists as well as any parents of autistic children in bilingual families to take part in our study.

If you or anyone you know would be like to get involved, you can do so using the study link or by scanning the relevant QR code in the flyers below.

flyer containing QR code for teacher survey flyer containing QR code for parents' survey

Posted in: All Languages, Scotland, Bilingualism, Research, News from language & education organisations

French courses with the Alliance Française - Summer 2024

4 June 2024 (Alliance Française)

Adults looking to start learning French this summer or wanting to brush up on existing skills before going on holiday, our summer classes are tailored to your needs.

With in-person and online course options, from beginner to advanced, there's something to suit everyone.

If you're unsure of your level you can take a free online test to find what level of French class is suitable for you.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information.

Posted in: French, Scotland, Language Learning - Adults

French courses with the Institut français - Summer 2024

4 June 2024 (Institut français)

Summer is coming! Time to catch up on French.

This summer the Institut français d'Ecosse has courses for both adults and kids.

Why not join our Drawing Edinburgh course where you will practice French through an artistic activity. Or if you are interested in sports, join our Olympics and Paralympic Games courses? Wish to brush up your French before the holidays ? Check our French for France courses.

Visit the Institut français website for full details of all our Summer courses. Registration is open now!

Chinese Language Summer Courses 2024

1 June 2024 (Confucius Institute for Scotland)

The Confucius Institute for Scotland in Edinburgh is running a five-week summer programme from 1 July to 2 August. With diverse evening and daytime classes on offer there's an array of opportunities to start and learn Chinese!

For those working in the hospitality and tourism industries there's a course specially tailored for frontline and customer-facing staff who want a short, focused introduction to Chinese language and culture to enable them to engage with Chinese customers and visitors.

Visit the Confucius Institute's website for more information.

Larbert High School languages teacher up for national Teacher of the Year award

28 May 2024 (Falkirk Herald)

A Larbert High School languages teacher has been praised for her dedication after being nominated in a national Teacher of the Year competition, led by Miconex and sponsored by group collecting platform GiftRound.

Kirsty McLaren was nominated for the award by a parent at the school, Cara Welsh.

Cara says that Mrs McLaren has done a huge amount to support her daughter with languages during recent exams:

“My daughter is in the fourth year and was really struggling with German and feeling quite down about it. We had a parents’ evening with Mrs McLaren and told her about this and straight away, Mrs McLaren volunteered extra time to help my daughter and offered her strategies for learning vocabulary.

[..] “Mrs McLaren is really positive in the way she communicates and is so supportive, telling my daughter that she can do it. This has boosted my daughter’s confidence in German, but that confidence has also transferred into other subjects. She’s looking at her other subjects with new eyes now. And after the extra support my daughter has had with learning German, languages are now back on the table as a possible subject for further study. That wouldn’t have happened before."

Posted in: Scotland, Awards, Language Teaching, Languages in the press

CISS Spring/Summer newsletter published!

28 May 2024 (CISS)

The CISS Spring/Summer newsletter has now been published! Read what our hubs, teachers, and learners have been up to recently in Mandarin teaching and learning across Scotland, as well as updates on CISS projects and articles from our Chinese Exchange Teachers and Scholars.

Submissions for the CISS Winter Newsletter will open in the Autumn/Winter.

National search to find Teacher of the Year goes live in Scotland

13 May 2024 (The Scotsman)

Nominations are now open in a national Teacher of the Year competition in Scotland. Led by fintech Miconex and sponsored by group collecting platform GiftRound, the competition has £1250 in local gift cards as the prize.

The teacher who is crowned as Teacher of the Year, and their school, will each win a £500 Town & City Gift Card or Scotland Loves Local Gift Card. One person who nominated the Teacher of the Year will also win a £250 local gift card.

It is free for people to nominate their Teacher of the Year, and all types of teachers are eligible including primary and secondary school teachers, higher education teachers, early years teachers and special educational needs teachers in the UK.

Gaelic and Scots education in need of more support

8 May 2024 (The Herald)

A lack of Gaelic-speaking support staff and early years of Gaelic learning could be holding back the spread of Gaelic Medium Education (GME) across the country.

Meanwhile, a leader in Scots language education said that the lack of an official definition for “Scots language” and the included dialects risk alienating the varieties of language lessons in different local authorities.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

GTC Scotland Lay Council Member Recruitment

8 May 2024 (GTCS)

GTC Scotland is the teaching profession’s independent registration and regulation body. We work to maintain and enhance trust in teaching. We are governed by a Council of 37 members; 19 elected registered teachers, 11 educational stakeholder nominees and 7 lay members appointed by an independent Appointments Committee.

We are currently looking to appoint 2 lay members to sit on our Council. In order to be eligible for appointment, applicants must not be, nor have ever been, registered with GTC Scotland and not hold a qualification that would make them eligible for registration with GTC Scotland.

If you have any colleagues or contacts whom you think may be interested in applying, visit the vacancies portal on the GTC Scotland website for more information.

Applications close midnight on Sunday 2 June.

Posted in: Scotland, Teaching, News from language & education organisations

Bookbug Week 2024

7 May 2024 (Scottish Book Trust)

Get ready for Bookbug Says Hello! Bookbug Week takes place from 13–19 May and this year celebrates all the different languages spoken by families across Scotland.

Visit the Bookbug Week website to discover events, activities and resources to help celebrate!

Exciting opportunity to internationalise your curriculum!

3 May 2024 (SCILT/CISS)

SCILT is delighted to offer state primary and secondary schools in Scotland the opportunity to have a Chinese language assistant teacher in their school/cluster free of charge in 2024-25!

Your teacher could help deliver L3 Mandarin to primary and BGE classes, lead IDL projects such as Eco Learning Partners, organise live-link ups with Chinese schools, team teach with Virtual Exchange Teachers, team teach with your own staff, work with small groups for speaking activities, support senior phase learners with preparation for NQs alongside the Discovering China Programme. This exciting opportunity could complement or supplement any existing Mandarin provision you have. Having a Mandarin language assistant teacher could revolutionise your L3 provision next year.

You can register your interest in the opportunity via the online form where you can also sign up to attend an information session on Thursday 23 May at 4pm.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Foreign Language Assistants, SCILT news, CISS news

NAC outline their priorities for British Sign Language users

2 May 2024 (Largs & Millport News)

A new initiative to support sign language users across the county was approved by North Ayrshire Council's cabinet on Tuesday.

The Scottish Government wants to make the country the best place in the world for British Sign Language users to live, work and visit.

And the BSL Local Plan for 2023-30 means those who use sign language will be fully involved in public life.

Posted in: Scotland, Policy, Languages in the press, BSL

Intensive summer French courses

2 May 2024 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is offering two intensive French courses for summer 2024 which may be of particular interest to teachers or university students.

So if you're looking to refresh your French skills join the three-day classes during the summer! There are classes for the A1/A2 level in June and B1/B2 level in July.

For more information, visit the Alliance Française website.

Language courses for pupils at Edinburgh College

2 May 2024 (Edinburgh College)

School pupils who find their chosen language qualification is not offered in their school can study their NQ language course online for free with Edinburgh College.

The college offers National 5 courses in French, German and Spanish as well as Higher and Advanced Higher French, German, Italian and Spanish.

See the attached flyer for details.

Related Files

Flyer_Modern Lang Online Courses_EdCollege (199 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Gaelic provision in Scottish schools ‘limited and marginal’

1 May 2024 (TES)

Gaelic campaigners have reiterated their call for a legal right to Gaelic-medium education (GME), saying that it is “profoundly disappointing” that this is “again omitted” from a proposed new law making its way through the Scottish Parliament.

Wilson McLeod, emeritus professor of Gaelic at the University of Edinburgh, says that up to now, legislation aimed at increasing access to Gaelic education has had a “disappointingly limited impact”.

Data for 2022-23 shows fewer than 1 per cent of Scottish pupils received GME or Gaelic learners Education (GLE). Approximately 95 per cent of primary schools did not offer GME or GLE, while around a third of councils (11 out of 32) offered neither GME nor GLE “in any of their schools”.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Languages in the press

Young Applicants in Schools Scheme

25 April 2024 (OU)

The Young Applicants in Schools Scheme (YASS) run by the Open University is now accepting applications for 2024-25.

The scheme is fully-funded by the Scottish Funding Council and enables S6 pupils to study first year university-level courses alongside school studies, enhancing skills and UCAS/college applications.

A range of subjects are offered, including French, German, Spanish and Exploring Languages & Cultures.

Whilst registration for the scheme closes on 2 September, students are encouraged to apply before the summer holidays to ensure they are able to register onto their chosen course.

Visit the YASS website for more information.

MTOT finalists' work on SCILT's website!

25 April 2024 (SCILT)

We are pleased to announce that the winning and highly commended entries from this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue (MTOT) multilingual poetry competition are now available to view on the SCILT website. As it was the 10th anniversary year since the start of the competition in Scotland, you can also see a short video homage to MTOT over that time.

A massive thank you once again to all the pupils and teachers who participated this year and those who've supported the event previously.

Modern language assistants disappear from Scottish state schools

24 April 2024 (TES)

There are no foreign language assistants working in Scottish state schools this academic year, Tes Scotland can reveal.

While a small number of modern language assistants (MLAs) remain working in Scottish schools, all are operating in the independent sector.

Once a mainstay of many schools’ language-teaching offerings, MLAs appear to have been sacrificed en masse in the midst of councils’ budget crises and a decline in interest in languages in Scottish schools.

Data obtained from the British Council Scotland, which arranges for MLAs to work in schools, shows that in 2023-24, the total number employed in Scotland is 33. None is in a state school.

This was also the case in 2022-23. The last time any MLAs were hosted by local authorities was in 2021-22, when 10 were employed to work in state schools.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Cast announced for BBC's first Gaelic crime thriller

18 April 2024 (BBC)

The BBC has released details of the cast for its first Gaelic language crime drama, which has started filming in the Hebrides and Glasgow.

Called The Island and costing more than £1m per episode, BBC Alba's four-part thriller is centred around a murder investigation.

Sorcha Groundsell, who grew up in Lewis and Glasgow, has been cast in the lead role - a family liaison officer who returns to her home island following the murder of a millionaire's wife.

She has previously appeared in HBO series His Dark Materials, BBC drama Shetland and Netflix's The Innocents.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Celebrating the learning of Mandarin within Scottish schools

16 April 2024 (SCEN)

SCEN are keen to showcase and promote the learning of Mandarin within schools in Scotland. You are invited to create a short (around five minutes) video to celebrate the learning of Mandarin in your school.

Take a look at the video produced by Boroughmuir High School (and associated primaries) in Edinburgh sharing their thoughts as they continue their Mandarin journey.

Submissions will be promoted and shared on the SCEN website.

For further information, advice and support about making a short film in your school please contact youthvoice@scen.info.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

OU TELT course open for registrations

16 April 2024 (Open University)

TEachers Learning to Teach languages (TELT) aims to increase and improve language provision in primary schools. Teachers simultaneously learn a new language and the skills to teach that language in the classroom. The programme is General Teaching Council for Scotland approved, and can count towards postgraduate qualifications.

Available languages are French, German, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

Registration is now open for the programme commencing October 2024.

Visit the Open University website for more information.

RZSS Science in the Language Class

16 April 2024 (RZSS)

RZSS Science in the Language Class has three new FREE language linked outreach sessions aimed at upper primary level and available for August 2024 but as places can fill up fast early booking is recommended.

French: A one hour outreach session linked to RZSS work in the French Polynesia Islands with the Partula snail. We don't just work with the big charismatic animals. We can't forget the importance to the ecosystem of the wee beasties. Learn more about the conservation work with activities linked to French.

Gaelic: A one hour outreach session linked to RZSS work in Scotland with the Scottish wildcat. RZSS Highland Wildlife Park has a special centre which is breeding the Scottish wildcat for release to the wild. The first release was in 2023. Learn more about the Scottish wildcat with activities linked to Gaelic.

Spanish: This can be a one hour outreach session or there is the option for a short 2 week course, where in the first week there is a 45 minute live virtual introductory session, followed by a one hour in-person outreach. The session(s) are linked to the RZSS work in South America with the giant armadillo, the giant anteater and the two-toed sloth. Although they seem very different animals, they all belong to a group called Xenarthra which means strange joints! Learn more about this work with activities linked to Spanish.

All are available throughout Scotland including the Islands. However, if further afield (ie not in the Central Belt) then we do need a cluster of schools booking together to come for a few days or a week. Or possibly one school booking a number of sessions over a few days. Sessions are aimed at P4-P7. Maximum number per session is 33. Contact Sandie Robb - srobb@rzss.org.uk for further details and to discuss options. Also see the Science in the Language Class website.

Italian poster competition - Winners announced!

11 April 2024 (SCILT)

We’re delighted to announce the winners of our recent poster competition for school-aged learners of Italian of any level (including those with no prior learning). The prompt was ‘Cosa significa L’Italia per me’ – what Italy means to me – and we asked learners to include as much Italian language as they were able to. We received some fantastic entries across the four different age categories, and the S1-S3 category was especially popular, so we decided to feature some specially commended entries too. A big thanks to everyone who created a poster for the competition, and to their teachers who sent in all the entries!

Scots and bilingualism

27 March 2024 (Scottish Book Trust)

According to the 2011 census, 1.5 million people in Scotland identified as Scots speakers, with a further 267,000 reporting that they could understand the language. After English, Scots was the most widely spoken and understood language across Scotland. UK-wide, more people self-reported as speaking Scots than either Gaelic (57,000) or Welsh (562,000), making Scots the UK’s most widely spoken minority language.

Despite this, there is often misunderstanding about the status of Scots as a language.

Saving Scotland’s ‘languages ecosystem’ from collapse

25 March 2024 (TES)

The recent announcement that the University of Aberdeen has lifted the threat of compulsory redundancy from its languages staff and will continue to deliver joint degrees in languages was a rare moment of good news for the languages sector.

But the focus on universities hides a much greater opportunity to secure a sustainable future for languages. The curriculum review taking place following the publication of Professor Louise Hayward’s report, It’s Our Future, is a chance to reflect on what languages should look like going forward.

This is a critical moment. Global citizenship is intrinsic to the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), and since 2011 the Scottish government has signalled the strategic importance of languages by investing over £36 million in languages provision in the “broad general education (BGE)”. The introduction of languages from the age of 5 established language-learning as the norm, and many schools embraced it as an opportunity to revise their BGE provision.

But with the implementation and funding of the 1+2 languages policy now complete, there is a real danger that this progress will be squandered.

DYW Live - Languages and Your Career

22 March 2024 (SCILT / eSgoil)

SCILT is going to be offering two more online Languages and Your Career sessions before the summer and we'd love to see you there! These sessions will be different from previous ones offered as they will be tailored specifically to particular groups of learners. These will be:

Wednesday 15 May 11.00 - 12.00, a session aimed specifically at Secondary BGE learners (S1-3) which will explore the fun, transferrable employability skills associated with languages. We will examine together how these are a valuable asset in any learner’s skillset.

Tuesday 11 June 2.00 – 3.00, a session aimed directly at Senior Phase pupils just starting new courses. This will look further forward from the perspective of those who have already chosen languages and will include tips on making the most of the language learning experience in school and beyond.

Like previous sessions, these webinars aim to introduce learners to the importance of languages and their associated skills in the workplace, break down stereotypes of careers that use languages, identify appropriate career pathways, and hear examples of people who use languages in their daily work.

Both sessions will take place within the Languages and Your Career Glow Team. Registration is via e-Sgoil.

Certificate of Continuing Education (CCEd) in Mandarin

15 August 2024 (University of Strathclyde)

The online Certificate of Continuing Education (CCEd) in Mandarin at the University of Strathclyde is a qualification that, through live-streamed, evening classes, brings beginners to the equivalent of BA degree level (120 credits) over the course of three years. The course will, therefore, overtake the minimum 80 credits required by the General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS) for teaching in a secondary school. For language teachers already in possession of a language teaching qualification accepted by the GTCS, the course will allow them to add Mandarin to the suite of languages they already teach. On completion of 80 credits, the course will include a four-week summer school in China (tuition, accommodation, and food provided) that will count towards the GTCS residency requirement for full registration.

The course fees are £950 per year. For teachers who are currently employed in a local authority that hosts a Confucius Classroom hub (click this link for a list of participating local authorities), funding may be available to you from your local authority’s hub funding. Please ask your school/LA contact for details. Additional funding sources are currently being explored.

The university is currently accepting applications for the first three-year cycle of this new course, which will be delivered entirely online. Numbers permitting, the course will commence in September 2024. Further information and application details can be found on the University of Strathclyde website.

German courses in Glasgow

19 March 2024 (Goethe-Institut)

If you prefer in-person teaching and would like to meet other learners of German in Glasgow, sign up now for the Goethe-Institut Glasgow's onsite or blended learning courses starting in April.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for a full listing of courses and levels available.

Posted in: German, Scotland, Language Learning

BBC ALBA: Gaelic drama series set to hit international screens

18 March 2024 (Scottish Field)

BBC ALBA has commissioned a brand-new crime thriller which will be the biggest Gaelic drama series in the channel’s history – with an estimated budget of more than £1 million per episode.

The ambitious four-part series, An t-Eilean (The Island), is set to put Gaelic-language drama on the global map with a gripping storyline from screenwriter and creator Nicholas Osborne.

Set against the elemental landscape of the Outer Hebrides, An t-Eilean is a compelling crime story that follows a family caught up in a murder investigation very close to home.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Promoting Languages, Languages in the press

Doric bootcamp aims to help protect traditional Scots language

17 March 2024 (The National)

A Doric bootcamp is to be held in a Scottish town this summer as part of a bid to help beginners get to grips with the language.

Dr Jamie Fairbairn, a Scots language teacher and head of humanities at Banff Academy, has helped to organise the programme and said it is “absolutely vital” to protect the language.

The course is due to take place in Portsoy and Fairbairn says the idea originated following a conversation with BBC Alba journalist Andreas Wolff.

Posted in: Scotland, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, Languages in the press, Scots

Lingobox Learning Easter activities

14 March 2024 (Lingobox Learning)

Our French Easter Activities blog is now live on the Lingobox Learning website!

The blog is full of great ideas for developing French with your classes in the run up to Easter! You’ll also find our French Easter Bells Story, How to make an Easter Card and How to draw an Easter Egg (all French) on our Youtube channel.

Easter Competition!

To win a 1-year subscription to LingoboxLearning.com, simply:

Try any Easter activity inspired by our suggestions or using our resources
Share a post about it on any social media - Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Threads!
Follow Lingobox and mention them in your post @LingoboxLearning (Insta/FB/Threads) @lingbox (Twitter)
Post as many times as you like for multiple entries!

Posted in: Primary, French, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, News from language & education organisations

Gaelic L3 Team Teaching Live Lessons for schools - 6 week block suitable for P5-7

12 March 2024 (Highland Council)

Ideal for schools who would like to introduce Gaelic as an L3 or deliver Gaelic as a short term standalone language. Also provides support for teachers who are new to teaching Gaelic as L3 or would like to refresh their skills in the language.

The aim is to motivate pupils and empower teachers to deliver 1+2 languages entitlement by delivering fun, engaging live online language lessons through a unique team-teaching model facilitated by myself. During these lessons, teachers learn alongside their pupils in real time and lead the learning in their own class. This approach also develops teacher confidence to consolidate the language learning with their pupils during their own class time. This model of delivery provides on the job professional learning to alleviate workload pressures and helps teachers make the time for languages in a crowded curriculum.

The lesson structure alternates between short bursts of direct teaching from the online teacher, followed by the class teachers leading their own class in a game. This format allows the learning to remain active and therefore learners are fully engaged.

Each lesson lasts approximately 40 minutes and will take place via GLOW Teams. All resources will be available to download in advance of the session and will be stored in the GLOW Team. The sessions will run on the following dates, all take place 2.00-2.40pm:

Wednesday 17 April
Wednesday 24 April
Wednesday 1 May
Wednesday 8 May
Wednesday 15 May
Wednesday 22 May

We will cover the basic topics such as Numbers, Introductions & Greetings, Family, Weather etc throughout the course of the programme.

If you would like to enrol your class, please fill in this Google form

For further information about this Team Teaching model you can read the case study of the recent national pilot (document also attached)

If you have any further questions about the programme, please contact Ruairidh Mackay - ruairidh.mackay@highland.gov.uk

Related Files

Online team-teaching - A sustainable approach to teaching languages (1.45 MB)

Posted in: Primary, Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, News from language & education organisations

Fears for future of Gaelic language as community workers’ jobs under threat

10 March 2024 (The Guardian)

Gaelic-language campaigners and MSPs have protested furiously about plans to axe a network of Gaelic community workers, raising fresh fears about the survival of the language.

Up to 27 Gaelic development workers based in Hebridean islands, rural counties and Scotland’s major cities are being laid off after the Scottish government cut funding to Bòrd na Gàidhlig (BnG), the body charged with protecting and reviving Gaelic.

The job losses have alarmed activists, who said these development workers were essential to their efforts to promote and reinvigorate the language and Gaelic communities, after decades of decline.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Union calls off Aberdeen University strike

8 March 2024 (BBC)

A strike by staff at the University of Aberdeen has been called off after the threat of compulsory redundancy was lifted from 26 employees.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) had planned to take six days of strike action throughout March.

The dispute centred on the university deciding to cut single degrees in modern languages.

The move had put the jobs of 26 staff at risk but the university said that was no longer the case.

In a statement, the university said it had been able to remove the possibility of compulsory redundancies after "receiving a strong set of proposals from staff in modern languages to grow income and reform the curriculum".

French for Teachers

7 March 2024 (Alliance Française)

Are you currently teaching French in a Secondary School and looking for a way to keep your French up to date? Join the Alliance Française Glasgow for our classes dedicated to French Teachers!

This class will enable you to converse in French, discuss the latest trends and topics in French society, review grammar, and connect with other teachers from Scottish schools.

The classes take place online from 6:00pm to 8:00pm with opportunities to meet in person.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information and to enrol for the September semester.

Easter Study Support 2024

5 March 2024 (eSgoil)

Registration for eSgoil's Easter Study Support 2024 is now open!

Easter Study Support is for Senior Phase learners who are working towards National Qualifications. This year there are seventy-four different webinar Teams, covering a wide range of subjects and levels.

Live, interactive and free, the sessions will support learners towards final exams.

Visit eSgoil's website for the full timetable and to register for the webinars.

Certificate of Continuing Education (CCEd) in Italian

5 March 2024 (University of Strathclyde)

A reminder that the University of Strathclyde is currently inviting applications for the latest three-year cycle of the GTCS-approved Certificate of Continuing Education (CCEd) in Italian, due to commence in September 2024.

Details on the course can be found on the CCEd in Italian webpage and applications can be submitted via the online portal.

Any questions/informal enquiries should be addressed to paul.hare@strath.ac.uk.

‘Let’s increase language learning education’ – Foysol Choudhury

24 February 2024 (North Edinburgh News)

Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury has this week given a speech at an International Mother Language Day event in Edinburgh City Chambers, highlighting the importance of language learning education and calling for more investment and partnership work to deliver the Gaelic Language Plan.

International Mother Language Day, proposed by Bangladesh and memorialised by UNESCO on 21st February each year, focuses on promoting linguistic diversity and the importance of sharing our differences in culture and languages to foster tolerance and respect in our multi-cultural communities.

The initiative is significant in preserving heritage through language and maintaining multilingual education policies to promote lifelong learning of languages.

Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2023-24 winners announced!

23 February 2024 (SCILT)

It gave us great pleasure to welcome pupils, teachers and special guests to our online 10th anniversary Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition awards on 21 February. The date chosen for the event was significant being International Mother Language Day, a day to celebrate all world languages. We were delighted to announce the following winners and highly commended entries in each category:

Mother Tongue

P1-P4

Yuexin Li, St Martin's Primary (Winner)
Taras Sukhodolskyi, West Primary (Highly Commended)
Vova Abramov, West Primary (Highly Commended)

P5-P7

Timothy Ishie, St James' Primary (Winner)
Artem Bonardchuk, St John Ogilvie Primary ((Highly Commended)
Chizara, Rua, Godwin & Mariama, St Maria Goretti Primary (Highly Commended)
Hasnain Ali Shah, West Primary (Highly Commended)
Kate Kaludova, West Primary (Highly Commended)

S1-S3

Lavina Tsang, Craigmount High School (Winner)
Alexia Rigg, Glasgow Gaelic School (Highly Commended)
Ewen Darroch, Glasgow Gaelic School (Highly Commended)
Jenny, Gemma, Sophie, Tess, Asra & Emma, Craigmount High School (Highly Commended)
Mairi Stephen, Glasgow Gaelic School (Highly Commended)

S4-S6

Nova Senkowska, Mearns Castle High School (Winner)
Anotidaishe Mugwagwa, Kirkintilloch High School (Highly Commended)

Other Tongue

P1-P4

Naomi & Caellum, Bunessan Primary (Winner)
P4 Class, The Glasgow Academy Newlands & MIlngavie (Highly Commended)

P5-P7

Alasdair MacDonald, Salen Primary (Winner)
Lauren Stewart, Goodlyburn Primary (Highly Commended)
Lilia Fournier, George Watson's College (Highly Commended)

S1-S3

Amelia Armstrong, Kirkintilloch High School (Winner)
Emma Pacci, Bearsden Academy (Highly Commended)
Harrison Williams, Craigmount High School (Highly Commended)

S4-S6

Natasha Dickson, Kirkintilloch High School (Winner)
Abby Leitch, Graeme High School (Highly Commended)
Katie MacNeil, Kirkintilloch High School (Highly Commended)

All our finalists will receive a certificate and book token. Winning entrants will also receive a trophy and be offered the chance for their poems to feature in The Children's Poetry Archive. We will be in contact with schools shortly about taking these extra special opportunities forward.

This year we were also delighted to host a special strand of the competition focusing on Spanish entries. The winning entries in this category were:

Emma Llovera Meneses - Kirklandneuk Primary
Axel Llovera Meneses - Kirklandneuk Primary
The Language Ambassadors (Araav, Vihaan, Grace, Marc, Alexander, Poppy, Anaya & Maya) - The Glasgow Academy
Spanish Club (Brooklyn, Bion, Rishi & Tobi) – Craigmount High School

Teachers with students who entered in this category will be contacted separately regarding their awards which are kindly sponsored by the Instituto Cervantes in Manchester.

It is our intention to host each of the finalists’ poems on the SCILT website and we'll announce when these are available to view.

Congratulations again to all our finalists and a big thank you for supporting the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition!

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, Mother Tongue, Promoting Languages, SCILT news

Clydeview Academy pupils make a movie about world peace

23 February 2024 (Greenock Telegraph)

A bunch of rookie movie makers have made the cut by reaching the final of a national film competition.

Pupils at Clydeview Academy created their own storyboard to enter a filmmaking contest run by The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET).

The project is entitled Our World and aims to encourage global citizenship, language learning and uptake among pupils.

Language teacher Vanessa Hall, who runs the club with colleague Lucy McCue, said: "It started in August, we were trying to widen pupils' use of language and making a film makes it more fun.

"The storyboard was based on the UN's sustainable goals and the pupils used two languages, Ukrainian and French.

"The theme is based on World Peace and is entitled Open Your Eyes."

Eric Liddell poster competition for primary schools

15 February 2024 (CISS)

The Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools is delighted to collaborate with The Eric Liddell Community to launch a poster competition celebrating the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell's legendary win at the 1924 Paris Olympics!

The competition is open to all primary schools in Scotland. The deadline for entries is Friday 8 March 2024.

Further details and the submission link can be found on the CISS website or see the attached flyer. Entries submitted via email will not be accepted.

To find out more about The Eric Liddell 100 celebration events, please visit the Eric Liddell Community website.

Related Files

Eric Liddell poster competition flyer (277 KB)

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, CISS news

Seachdain na Gàidhlig 19 - 25 Gearran 2024 // World Gaelic Week 19 - 25 February 2024

15 February 2024 (Seachdain na Gàidhlig)

Seachdain na Gàidhlig / World Gaelic Week takes place from 19 to 25 February 2024. There are lots of ways to get involved and celebrate the theme of ‘Your Language. Your Opportunity’.

Why not run your own event as part of Seachdain na Gàidhlig? Resources are available for individuals and organisations to deliver events in their own communities.

Visit the Seachdain na Gàidhlig website for more information and see what's happening in your area.

Branching out with languages – workshop series for mainstream and complementary school teachers

13 February 2024 (Bilingualism Matters / SCILT)

Bilingualism Matters and SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages are offering a series of free, online professional learning workshops for teachers in complementary and heritage language schools, based in the UK and beyond. The remaining workshops in the series are:

February workshop - The Language Learning Buzz: Strategies to engage and motivate learners, both online and in the classroom. This session is run by Karen Faulds and Suzanne Ritchie from SCILT.

March workshop - The Supportive Classroom: Strategies to support learning and encourage positive mindsets within a group of mixed ability learners. This session is run by Karen Faulds and Suzanne Ritchie from SCILT.

See the attached flyer for more information. You can book a place at these workshops via the Bilingualism Matters website.

Related Files

Branching Out_SM (2) (124 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Language Teaching, Motivation, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

SQA Modern Languages updates

12 February 2024 (SQA)

The SQA has recently published Common Questions documentation for National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher on their Modern Languages webpage.

Glasgow Film Festival 2024

8 February 2024 (Glasgow Film Festival)

Taking place from 28 February to 10 March 2024, the Glasgow Film Festival offers a wide range of screenings, including films in different languages.

Visit the GFF website for full programme details.

Teachers sign up for course embedding Scots language into classrooms

6 February 2024 (STV)

More than 120 teachers have signed up to a training course on embedding Scots language into the classroom.

The first-of-its-kind resource is set to be delivered by the Open University, with funding supplied by the Scottish Government.

The current cohort of teachers are from all across Scotland and specialise in different subjects.

Education secretary Jenny Gilruth is set to officially launch the course on Tuesday at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh.

Ms Gilruth said the course is an “important step” towards embedding and protecting the language in Scottish education.

Glasgow Gaelic School students celebrate Languages Week

3 February 2024 (Glasgow Times)

Proud students have shared their love of language after their school spent a week celebrating different cultures.

Fionnlagh Moireasdan, a student at the Glasgow Gaelic School, explained why embracing Gaelic as a second language meant celebrating his family history.

The 15-year-old said: "Gaelic has always been important to me because I'm passionate about keeping the language of my family and ancestors alive."

[..] Last week, pupils were treated to events to promote learning an additional language and reflect on the benefits as part of Languages Week Scotland.

French online ‘Live Lessons’ for primary

1 February 2024 (Argyll & Bute Council)

Gwen McCrossan, PT for 1+2 languages for Argyll & Bute Council, is offering a 5-week block of French online ‘Live Lessons’ for primary learners.

Lessons commence Wednesday 28 February and will last 40 minutes from 1.30 to 2.10 pm. These lessons are aimed at P4 learners upwards. The lessons can be used as consolidation of L2 French or as an introduction to French as an L3. The content can be accessed with no prior knowledge of French but the lessons are reasonably fast paced and include team games, which is why they are not suitable for younger learners.

These lessons have a team teaching element as the games are led by the class teacher in their own classroom. The learning is chunked throughout the lesson between learning online from the expert to consolidating the new learning through playing a game in the class. This keeps the learning active but the teachers feel well supported. All the resources used during the lessons have sound files embedded to support learners and teachers with the pronunciation of key language. Each lesson contains an element of French phonics which practitioners have found to be very beneficial to develop confidence in pronunciation. Suggested follow-up resources and activities are also provided to allow the class teacher to consolidate the learning during the week.

As multiple classes will be attending these lessons, differentiation is not possible. Therefore, it is important that you decide whether the content of the lessons is suitable for your learners. For example, the content may be ideal for a P5 class which needs to revise and consolidate some simple French language. However, it wouldn’t suit a P7 class which had made steady progression in French from P1 onwards.

Content:

(each lesson will have a phonics element embedded)

Lesson 1- Numbers to 16, Greetings & Feelings

Lesson 2- Numbers to 20, Days & Weather

Lesson 3- Numbers to 31, Months & Birthdays, Colours

Lesson 4- Numbers to 31, Family

Lesson 5- Pets & description (Colour, size)

Please complete this form if you would like to sign up for these lessons.

If you would like to learn more about this team teaching model please read this case study which describes last year’s national pilot of this initiative.

Posted in: Primary, French, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Ten Steps to Polish - new updated version

1 February 2024 (SCILT)

For teachers looking to introduce Polish as an L3 learning experience, you might be interested to know that we have updated the existing Ten Steps to Polish resource which is now available on the SCILT website. Ten Steps to Polish aims to introduce primary learners to Polish language and culture through a series of ten lessons. The lessons are based on a storytelling approach whereby a child in Scotland learns they have Polish ancestry. The child then embarks on a journey to Poland and travels to various cities and places of interest, learning about Polish language and culture throughout their travels.

Although the lesson guide and framework remain broadly the same as before, we have replaced the existing sound files with brand new audio and video files which we hope will help with pronunciation and understanding. All new files have been embedded into the resource and are easily accessible. Links within the ‘Suggested resources’ section of the progressive framework have also been updated and now include a few video clips to help reinforce language learning and understanding. We hope you enjoy exploring the updated resource!

Dziękuję/thanks to Ania Trusewicz and Chris Sagan from the Polish Social and Educational Society, Glasgow for helping update Ten Steps to Polish and also for the support from the Polish Consulate in Edinburgh.

You can access Ten Steps to Polish on the SCILT website.

Posted in: Primary, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, SCILT news, Polish

Discovering the World of Arabic 2024-25: Secondary course

30 January 2024 (SCILT)

SCILT, in partnership with Qatar Foundation International, is opening registrations for schools who would like to take part in our Discovering the World of Arabic programme in session 2024/25. 

For the coming session, schools will be able to access our traditional courses which run from September to March, or select our shorter introductory courses to offer an experience of Arabic as an L3 to their learners.

All participating schools will receive:

A dedicated live online lesson delivered every week via Glow Teams for each individual school (time to be agreed with each school)
Asynchronous materials to consolidate and further explore Arabic language and Arab cultures
Ongoing support from the SCILT team
Schools that are new to the programme will be eligible for a start-up grant of £2000, while all participating schools can bid for funding to provide resources and experiences that enhance the language learning and promote a positive experience of Arab cultures

The collaboration will provide an opportunity for local authority secondary schools to offer L3 learning experiences in Arabic language and cultures. BGE and Senior Phase courses have been co-created by the SCILT team and specially commissioned writers, with language lessons delivered online by teachers of Arabic. Both courses focus on developing conversational Arabic which will enhance learners’ understanding of Arab cultures and, in the Senior Phase course, their employability skills.

Discovering the World of Arabic is aimed at beginner learners who are seeking to enhance their language learning experience and develop their portfolio of skills. The lessons give learners the chance to explore aspects of Arab cultures as well as providing a solid linguistic foundation for learning the world’s fifth most spoken language.

Places are limited for this opportunity, so if you would like your school to be considered to take part, please complete the note of interest form by Friday 26 April 2024. Responses given on the note of interest form may inform the final selection of schools for this opportunity.

Please contact SCILT if you have any questions. 

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Scotland, Language Learning, SCILT news, Arabic

Discovering the World of Arabic 2024-25: Primary course

30 January 2024 (SCILT)

SCILT, in partnership with Qatar Foundation International, is looking for local authority primary schools in Scotland who would be interested in opening the door to the Arab world through our Discovering the World of Arabic programme.  

The collaboration will provide an opportunity for primary schools to offer L3 learning experiences in Arabic language and cultures. For learners in local authority primary schools the course will be offered as a ten-week interdisciplinary block of learning and is aimed at P5-P7 pupils. The course is delivered online, through a mix of live and recorded classes, with supplementary materials being shared via Glow Teams.

The lessons give learners the chance to explore aspects of Arab cultures as well as providing a solid linguistic foundation for learning the world’s fifth most spoken language.

Live classes will be scheduled on Thursdays or Fridays. Schools will have the opportunity to opt for lessons in term 1 (September to December) or term 2 (January to March).

All participating schools will receive ongoing support from the SCILT team and a loan box containing a range of artefacts. Schools that are new to the programme will also be eligible for a start-up grant of £2000, while all participating schools can bid for funding to provide resources and experiences that enhance the language learning and promote a positive experience of Arab cultures.

Previous participants have told us:

‘The materials that were provided to the schools were great, the workbooks were very useful throughout the course. The mix of live and recorded sessions was a good idea.’

‘We really like the box of resources. We liked learning about the different colours and clothes. We enjoyed using the genial.ly websites.’

Places are limited for this opportunity, so if you would like your school to be considered to take part, please complete the note of interest form by Friday 26 April 2024.

Please contact SCILT if you have any questions. 

Posted in: Primary, Scotland, Language Learning, SCILT news, Arabic

Stress over modern language cuts leaves students at "non-functional level"

30 January 2024 (The Gaudie)

As University bosses ponder the future of the modern language department, students have raised concerns about their lack of involvement in the process.

At a student welfare meeting held last week, nearly two dozen modern language students spoke of experiencing anxiety and stress due to ongoing uncertainty over the outcome of their degrees.

According to a written transcript of the meeting, Dean of Student Support Jason Bohan was told that many students have been operating at a “non-functional level” in recent months, lacking the capacity to concentrate on their lectures or meet deadlines.

Design a poster to celebrate 100 years since Eric Liddell won gold at the Paris Olympics!

30 January 2024 (CISS)

The Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools is delighted to collaborate with The Eric Liddell Community to launch a poster competition celebrating the 100th anniversary of Eric Liddell's legendary win at the 1924 Paris Olympics!

The competition is open to all primary schools in Scotland. The deadline for entries is Friday 8 March 2024. Further details and the submission link can be found on the CISS website or see the attached flyer. Entries submitted via email will not be accepted.

To find out more about The Eric Liddell 100 celebration events, please visit the Eric Liddell Community website.

Related Files

Eric Liddell poster competition flyer (277 KB)

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, CISS news

Free French and Spanish trials

29 January 2024 (La Jolie Ronde)

To support Languages Week Scotland 2024, La Jolie Ronde are offering Scottish schools now and throughout February, FREE trials of their French and Spanish Scheme of Work for P3-P6. To take up this offer email: schools@lajolieronde.co.uk (quote SCILT). Plus, parents can book a FREE trial session of a French and/or Spanish class that run through their network of Scottish tutors - your local tutor can be found on the La Jolie Ronde website (for new pupils only).

Posted in: Primary, French, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

ECT Language Cafés

26 January 2024 (SCILT)

Are you a Secondary PGDE student, NQT or ECT of Languages? Would you like the chance to network informally with others in the same boat across the country to share ideas and strategies, and even to chat in other languages from time to time? Then come along to our monthly drop-in sessions! These take place online on the last Thursday of each month.

Remaining dates for this academic year are as follows:

Thursday 29 February 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 28 March 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 25 April 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 30 May 4.30 – 5.30pm

These sessions will take place on Corporate Teams. Visit our Eventbrite page to book; see you there!

Posted in: All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Register your interest in VETs Term 2, April – June 2024

25 January 2024 (CISS)

Scottish schools can now register interest in the next block of the Mandarin Virtual Exchange Teacher programme, running from w/c 22 April – w/c 17 June 2024.

Over eight weeks, classes will be allocated a pair of student teachers who will work with their class to delivery weekly live streamed Mandarin lessons. The project provides classes for beginner level 1, 2 & 3. The courses are also suitable as L3 provision for BGE pupils in P5-7, as well as being suitable for Secondary BGE learners.

There will be an online information meeting (with a choice of two dates on either 8 or 20 February), to give an overview of the course and what is required of Scottish class teachers. Attendance at an information meeting is a requirement to participate in the programme, with the exception of teachers who have previously attended an information session and/or taken part in the VET programme within the last year. Teachers who are new to the programme are required to attend the meeting, even if the school has taken part previously.

You can find more information about the programme, as well as a link to register your interest and attendance at an information meeting (if required), on the CISS website.

VET flyer

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, CISS news

NEW! Multilingual Approaches through Art activity pack

25 January 2024 (MtA Project Partners)

We are excited to announce that the new Multilingual Approaches through Art (MtA) activity pack is now published!!

Funded by the Glasgow Knowledge Exchange Fund and created by those involved in the MtA project, this free activity pack contains a series of 10 activities which aim to inspire teachers and language educators to use art-based approaches in their teaching of languages. These activities use art as a content, medium and method for young people to explore who they are, how they can communicate multilingually, and how they build positive attitudes towards languages and language learning. The MtA activity pack aligns with the Curriculum for Excellence and Es and Os for each activity are referenced throughout.

We have a limited number of printed copies available* and there is also a downloadable digital version too. If you would like to receive a printed copy, please complete the form below.

To order a printed copy (*while stocks last), please complete this MS form.

Or access a digital version of the MtA activity pack.

Thank you!

Posted in: Primary, All Languages, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, SCILT news, News from language & education organisations

Italian poster competition - Cosa significa l’Italia per me

25 January 2024 (SCILT)

We are launching a new poster competition for school-aged learners of Italian (this includes those with no prior learning). We would love you to use whatever knowledge of Italian and Italy that you have to show what Italy means to you.

Your challenge:

Design a poster, including as much Italian language as you can, to show what Italy means to you.
Use the title Cosa significa l’Italia per me.
Individual or group entries are welcome. Group entries: use the title Cosa significa l’Italia per noi.
Judging categories: P1-4, P5-7, S1-3, S4-6.
This competition is open to all learners regardless of level of Italian. This includes those with no prior learning. The variation in Italian language content that will naturally result from this will be taken into account in the judging process.
Closing date extended to Thursday 7 March 2024.
Entries should be emailed by teachers in the form of a photograph to scilt@strath.ac.uk with Italian Poster Competition in the email subject line.
A signed Submission and Consent Form (attached below) should also be sent at the same time for each entry. It is perfectly acceptable to upload a photograph of this form; it is not necessary to scan the document.
In order to assist judging, please ensure that the sections of the Submission Form indicating level of Italian learning and where the inspiration for the poster came from are completed.
Each entry should state the school name, pupil name and age category in its file name.
Winners will be notified and announced around Easter 2024.

A downloadable flyer is attached.

We look forward to seeing your entries!

Related Files

Cosa significa l'Italia per me Submission and Consent Form (3.05 MB)
Cosa significa l'Italia per me - Judging Criteria (220 KB)
TOIIS poster competition 2024 flyer (1.30 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Italian, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, SCILT news

Scots in the classroom survey

25 January 2024 (Scottish Book Trust)

Scottish Book Trust are gathering information on the types of Scots activities undertaken in classrooms across Scotland, as well as teacher views of the benefits of and barriers towards teaching Scots in classrooms today.

We would be grateful if you could help us by offering your insights into the Scots Language in the Classroom by completing our short survey, which should take about 15 minutes to complete. The survey is open until 5 February 2024.

Taster sessions in Japanese for senior phase students

25 January 2024 (University of Glasgow)

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures at the University of Glasgow are looking for schools which would be interested in our taster sessions in Japanese; we can deliver them on their own premises on Fridays in February 2024 (exact dates TBC). Our tutors will deliver one-hour sessions focusing on some basic aspects of the language and on cultural elements such as, for instance, traditional food, manga and anime. Some information about options in terms of learning Japanese at the University of Glasgow will also be provided. Please contact: Emanuela.Ponti@glasgow.ac.uk

Posted in: Senior Phase, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations, Japanese

School languages initiative axed despite praise by ministers

22 January 2024 (The Herald)

An initiative to support the teaching of foreign languages in schools has been quietly axed by ministers despite the Scottish Government praising its work.

The withdrawal of the programme was buried in the detail of budget documents published last month which have come under renewed scrutiny in the wake of other funding reductions which have recently emerged.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Posted in: 1+2, Scotland, Funding, Language Policy, Scottish Government, Languages in the press

Holyrood launches call for views on bill to protect Scots and Gaelic

22 January 2024 (The National)

Holyrood has launched a call for views on a bill that would give Gaelic and Scots languages official status in Scotland.

The Scottish Parliament’s Education, Children and Young People Committee are seeking views from the public as they begin to scrutinise the Scottish Languages Bill.

The legislation would change the status of Scots and Gaelic and change the responsibilities of both the Scottish Government and other public bodies to support the languages.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Language Policy, Scottish Government, Languages in the press, Scots

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages updates

22 January 2024 (SQA)

The SQA has added Word versions of the Coursework portfolio writing booklet. These can be found in the Coursework dropdown menu of the Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage.

Languages Week Scotland: SCILT/Scotdec special events!

18 January 2024 (SCILT / Scotdec)

To celebrate the LWS 2024 theme of Languages for a Sustainable World, SCILT and Scotdec are pleased to offer two CLPL opportunities on making language learning relevant and motivating with a Global Citizenship approach.

There will be a session for Primary teachers and a separate session for Secondary teachers. Both sessions will offer insights into how languages education can be a catalyst for fostering global awareness, empathy and a sense of responsibility.

More information and booking details via the following links:

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, SCILT news, LWS

French course for teachers

18 January 2024 (Alliance Française)

Are you currently teaching French in a Secondary School in Scotland and looking for a way to keep your French up to date? The Alliance Française is running a new course commencing 19 February through to June 2024.

'French for Teachers' will enable you to converse in French, discuss the latest trends and topics in French society, review grammar, and connect with other teachers from Scottish schools. Classes will mainly be online, with two dates in-person at the Alliance Française in Glasgow.

Visit the Alliance Française website for more information and to register for the course.

Scottish Parliament to Debate University of Aberdeen Language Cuts

16 January 2024 (Aberdeen Business News)

Following cross-party support from more than 30 MSPs, a motion to stop the controversial consultation and save language degrees at the University of Aberdeen is tabled for discussion at Holyrood today (Tuesday 16th January).

The motion, submitted by Aberdeen Central MSP Kevin Stewart in December last year, and backed by additional SNP, Green, and Labour party members, references the widespread support for retaining language teaching at the University from students, staff, alumni, Gaelic organisations and even several international consulates.

Scottish Opera’s free Mandarin teaching resources; a musical and theatrical project for primary pupils

16 January 2024 (Scottish Opera)

Scottish Opera will be celebrating the Chinese Year of the Dragon with a new digital expressive arts project for P6 and P7 pupils: How the Dragon Was Made. Designed for one class of upper school pupils, How the Dragon Was Made aims to improve pupils’ comprehension of Mandarin vocabulary, as well as provide a creative opportunity for performance and an element of peer-to-peer learning. It includes online resources to facilitate a class of pupils to perform their own 20-minute musical show in class, which can be performed for Primary 1-3 classes in school but also families and other guests.

More information and access to the resources are available on the Scottish Opera website.

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon French Essay Prize 2024

16 January 2024 (Franco-Scottish Society / Alliance Française)

The Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay prize, established to commemorate and celebrate the life of a long-time member of the Franco-Scottish Society, is for students of Advanced Higher French in all schools and colleges across Scotland. This competition, run by the Franco-Scottish Society and the Alliance Française in Glasgow, aligns with the writing outcomes of the AH French course. Please note that this competition is not open to native French speakers nor those with a French heritage.

The essay, written in French, should be no longer than 500 words in length and can be discursive or narrative in style. Three prizes will be offered, and the winner of the first prize will also receive a trophy.

Schools and colleges have until 29 January 2024 to register interest for their students via the Alliance Française website when the essay task for the year will also be distributed to those registered.

Further information about the background to the competition, including judging guidelines and past essay questions, can be found on the SCILT website.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Scotland’s favourite Scots language songs revealed ahead of Burns Night

15 January 2024 (Renfrewshire 24)

As Burns Night approaches, we celebrate not just Robert Burns’ poetry but also the wider heritage found in the Scots language.

With lively readings of Burns’ verses and traditional Scottish music, this spirited celebration highlights the importance of the Scottish language in preserving and expressing the unique identity and cultural richness of the nation.

Beyond language, music plays a paramount role in preserving a country’s traditions and songs can be incredible time-capsules that preserve a nation’s cultural heritage. The tradition of children in Scottish schools learning Scots songs is longstanding and embedded in Scottish culture, so much so that it is part of the Scottish school curriculum.

To celebrate all things Scots language ahead of Burns Night on 25th January, VisitScotland surveyed more than 1,000 Scottish adults to see exactly what their favourite Scots songs are, their memories of learning Scots songs in school, and whether they enjoyed their time learning Scots language songs as part of their schooling.

Scottish language teaching is in decline: This is how we can save it

8 January 2024 (The Herald)

Teaching a modern language in the UK was once described by the eminent languages educator Eric Hawkins as “gardening in a gale”. But as a languages teacher, the well documented decline in pupils learning a language, and the subsequent cuts to languages degrees have made it feel more like a category five hurricane.

Aberdeen University, one of the oldest in the UK, is making major cuts to its languages degree courses, having already proposed abolishing them entirely. This prompted an unprecented intervention from diplomats from four countries, urging the university to reconsider its proposals.

This is happening against falling numbers of pupils taking a language to Higher level. The German Ambassador to the UK recently warned the First Minister Humza Yousaf about the “dramatic” decline in German teaching in Scottish schools, despite Germany being the UK’s second largest trading partner for goods and services.

Widening access to languages education could be worth billions to the UK economy, according to a 2022 report by the University of Cambridge. Moreover, the languages classroom is the place where pupils learn to become global citizens, by understanding other cultures and challenging racism and cultural sterotypes.

So how can we motivate more Scottish young people to discover the joy of learning a language? As a languages teacher, here are the six things we need to change if we are to avert a full blown crisis in languages learning.

eSgoil online courses for 2024-25

5 January 2024 (eSgoil)

Looking to broaden your learners' horizons and your school's curricular offer? We are offering a range of language NQs and work-related courses for 2024-25, delivered at no cost via live, online and interactive lessons.

Explore the details in the online brochure.

Aberdeen university strike ballot opens after cuts to languages

4 January 2024 (BBC)

Staff at the University of Aberdeen are balloting on potential strike action after the institution decided to cut single degrees in modern languages.

The University and College Union (UCU) said about 30 people were at risk of redundancy due to the changes.

From the next academic year, students will not be able to start single honours degrees in French, German, Spanish or Gaelic.

Those wishing to study them will have to do so as part of a joint degree.

The university court announced the decision in December, based on a recommendation from the senior vice principal, Professor Karl Leydecker.

Its management said low uptake of the courses meant the current model is not sustainable.

Language learning in 'terminal decline' warns Labour

29 December 2023 (Glasgow Times)

The learning of foreign languages in schools is in "terminal decline" Labour has claimed, after figures revealed a sharp drop in the number of students over the last four years.

Statistics show the number of pupils choosing to learn modern languages between National 4 and Higher level has fallen from 24,510 in 2019 to 23,990 in 2023.

The drop comes despite the overall S4 to S6 school roll rising by more than 10,500 pupils over the same period.

Posted in: Scotland, Language Learning - Decline, Languages in the press

Scottish Languages Bill: Fairer Scotland Duty summary

21 December 2023 (Scottish Government)

The Scottish Government's Scottish Languages Bill is legislation to advance the status of, and provision for, the Gaelic and Scots languages.

This is a revision to four existing policies (the status of Gaelic & Scots; Gaelic Medium Education; Bòrd na Gàidhlig; the Scots language) and the creation of one new policy (Areas of Linguistic Significance).

DYW Live eSgoil Languages Week 2024

12 December 2023 (DYW / eSgoil)

To celebrate Languages Week 2024 we’d like to highlight several exciting courses through DYW Live involving languages. We have sessions for Primary, Secondary and a CLPL for Primary Teachers all around the benefits languages can bring to learners and their future pathways.

Visit the webpage for full details.

First winner of Gaelic Scrabble World Championships

11 December 2023 (BBC)

The first Gaelic Scrabble World Championships have taken place in the Hebrides - and been won with a score of 353.

The Gaelic edition of the popular board game has been launched as part of efforts to promote the language.

Four competitors were brave enough to put their knowledge of Gaelic words to the test in Saturday's contest in Stornoway, Lewis.

Murdo MacDonald, from Back in Lewis, won the first world title.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Controversial uni modern languages proposal to be discussed

11 December 2023 (BBC)

Controversial University of Aberdeen proposals which could see its modern languages degrees scrapped are set to be discussed.

The university has blamed a steep fall in the number of students studying modern languages for the move.

More than 12,000 people have signed a petition opposing the proposals, and a protest meeting was held on Monday evening.

The university court will meet later to discuss the future of modern languages provision.

Edward Welch: North would be poorer in so many ways without language learning opportunities

11 December 2023 (Press and Journal)

It was a pleasure recently to visit Cults Academy and talk to S3 pupils about the horizons broadened by language learning.

We were joined by a final-year student from the University of Aberdeen, who enthused them with stories about her placement year in France. As many do, she had found her time abroad transformative.

Being part of daily life and culture in another country is a hothouse for language skills. And living on one’s wits in another language is ideal for building personal confidence and resilience.

With their passion for global languages and cultures, our students are ideal ambassadors. They can inspire the next generation of learners and remind them that all the hard work of “getting the grammar right” is worth the effort, because it unlocks the door to new ways of seeing the world.

In partnership with SCILT, Scotland’s national centre for languages, the University of Aberdeen has developed a new language mentoring scheme that pairs languages students with budding linguists in schools.

SCILT Winter newsletter published!

8 December 2023 (SCILT)

The latest edition of the SCILT newsletter has been published. Read about SCILT's work to support language learning and teaching, including our professional learning opportunities, language promotional activities, and support for language learners at all levels. Find out how schools celebrated European Day of Languages 2023 and read about the latest inspiring initiatives from local authorities. There is also an opportunity to read about the work of our partners to support language learning in Scotland.

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon French Essay Prize 2024

7 December 2023 (Franco-Scottish Society / Alliance Française)

The Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay prize, established to commemorate and celebrate the life of a long-time member of the Franco-Scottish Society, will open in January to students preparing Advanced Higher French in all schools and colleges across Scotland. This competition, run by the Franco-Scottish Society and the Alliance Française in Glasgow, aligns with the writing outcomes of the AH French course. Please note that this competition is not open to native French speakers nor those with a French heritage.

The essay, written in French, should be no longer than 500 words in length and can be discursive or narrative in style. Three prizes will be offered, and the winner of the first prize will also receive a trophy.

Schools and colleges will be asked to register interest for their students at the start of January via the Alliance Française website. Registrations will close on 29 January, when the essay task for the year will also be distributed to registered schools and colleges.

Further information about the background to the competition, including judging guidelines and past essay questions, can be found on the SCILT website.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Register now for the first GTCS-recognised Scots Language Teacher CPD Course

7 December 2023 (OU / Education Scotland)

We are launching the first ever Scots Language Masters-level teacher CPD programme for in-service teachers teaching at any level in a Scottish school. Hosted by the Open University in Scotland and designed and delivered by the OU in partnership with Education Scotland, this exciting new professional learning opportunity for Scotland’s teachers is now open for registration. There are 25 free places available for this online programme. These places for the first course cohort are funded by the Scottish Government.

The deadline to register and be one of the first 25 teachers to study the course for free is Monday 21^st December. Notifications to confirm places will be issued on Tuesday 22^nd. For those who either weren’t in the initial 25 for this year, or who already have CPD commitments for this academic year, you will be given priority for cohort 2 which will begin in the 2024-25 academic year.

Visit the course landing page for more information and the online registration form.

FOKUS, films from Germany 2024

7 December 2023 (Goethe-Institut)

Supported by FilmHub Scotland, the Goethe-Institut Glasgow is celebrating the 8th anniversary of the Scotland-wide German film festival Fokus.

The announced programme showcases the diversity of voices found in German cinema – past and present. Between 9 January – 31 January 2024, Fokus will celebrate the range of German contemporary filmmaking.

Visit the Goethe-Institut website for full programme details.

Free live streamed Mandarin NQ classes with CISS for 2024-25: Registration of interest now open!

7 December 2023 (CISS)

Do you have learners who would like to add another language qualification to their portfolio, but don’t have time or capacity within the department to run this? CISS can help! Our Discovering China Live online classes prepare learners for National 4, National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher Mandarin qualifications.

You can now register interest to take part in our online National Qualification Mandarin classes with our GTCS Mandarin teachers.

Please see the flyer below for more information, a teacher testimonial, and the link to register your interest. The registration link is also available here:

Link to register

For full details of the course, please see the CISS website. The 2024-25 handbook will be added shortly.

Related Files

Discovering China NQ (1.35 MB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, National Qualifications, CISS news

Branching out with languages – workshop series for mainstream and complementary school teachers

7 December 2023 (Bilingualism Matters / SCILT)

Bilingualism Matters and SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages are offering a series of free, online professional learning workshops for teachers in complementary and heritage language schools, based in the UK and beyond.

Workshop 1 - The Bigger Picture: The basics of bilingual language development and the role of teachers, parents and communities. This session is run by Prof Antonella Sorace and Katarzyna Przybycien from Bilingualism Matters and the University of Edinburgh.

Workshop 2 - The Language Learning Buzz: Strategies to engage and motivate learners, both online and in the classroom. This session is run by Karen Faulds and Suzanne Ritchie from SCILT.

Workshop 3 - The Supportive Classroom: Strategies to support learning and encourage positive mindsets within a group of mixed ability learners. This session is run by Karen Faulds and Suzanne Ritchie from SCILT.

See the attached flyer for more information. You can book a place at these workshops via the Bilingualism Matters website.

Related Files

Branching Out flyer (124 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Bilingual Education, Bilingualism, Community Languages, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Future of French, German and Gaelic at Aberdeen University at risk

4 December 2023 (Press and Journal)

Staff members have reacted with dismay after learning the future of modern languages at Aberdeen University is under threat.

The university is considering the future of modern languages provision, with a steering group outlining three options that have now been put to staff for consultation.

The university cited a “steep fall” in student numbers in modern languages, with high staff numbers relative to student numbers.

This means the department’s “income does not cover even the direct costs of staff”, leading to a projected deficit of £1.64m in 2023/24.

Glasgow University: Gaelic immersion programme made permanent

4 December 2023 (The Herald)

A Gaelic language immersion year pilot at the University of Glasgow is being made permanent, it was announced today (Monday December 4).

The Gaelic with Immersion Programme has received a long-term funding commitment from the College of Arts & Humanities at the university.

This announcement will establish Gaelic with Immersion as an integral part of the College’s Celtic & Gaelic diverse programme offering.

In 2017, the College commissioned a feasibility study to consider an immersion experience in Glasgow and this revealed a demand for more intensive language opportunities amongst students and adult learners.

Are languages disappearing from Scotland's schools?

2 December 2023 (The Herald)

Earlier this month, the German Ambassador raised concerns with the First Minister about the decline in language learning in Scotland. As exclusively revealed by The Herald, Miguel Berger pointed to the “dramatically low” numbers of young people studying German and spoke of his wish to engage with the Scottish Government in order to find ways of reversing the trend.

But how severe has the decline in language learning really been, what is being done to address the issues, and can we ever expect to see student numbers rise again?

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Scots language to be recognised a ‘invaluable part of Scotland’s culture’ in new bill

30 November 2023 (Scottish Legal News)

Proposals to help the Gaelic and Scots languages prosper in the years ahead have been set out in legislation today, as Scotland marks St Andrew’s Day.

One of the proposals in the Scottish Languages Bill is the creation of new Areas of Linguistic Significance, which would give Gaelic communities a greater say in how the language is supported locally.

The bill also provides greater support for Gaelic medium education and strengthens and adjusts the functions of Bòrd na Gàidhlig to help it continue to contribute to the promotion of Gaelic.

It will also establish legislative protection for the Scots language.

Bilingual Learners - Postgraduate Diploma

27 November 2023 (University of Edinburgh)

This specialist pathway is designed for teachers who are currently teaching bilingual or multilingual children in contemporary classrooms.

The University of Edinburgh is the only provider in Scotland of a Postgraduate Diploma in this area. Local authorities in Scotland regard this specialist Postgraduate Diploma as a benchmark for practitioners specialising in working with learners who have English as an Additional Language (EAL).

Visit the university website for more information about the programme and to apply.

Diplomats urge Aberdeen University to halt proposed cuts

27 November 2023 (The Herald)

The French, German, Spanish and Italian consulates in Scotland have written to the University of Aberdeen urging the institution not to proceed with proposed cuts to modern language degree courses.

A joint letter was sent ahead of the expected publication of plans this week which will outline the future of language courses at the university.

It is the second time in weeks that figures from European Union countries have intervened in the situation regarding the take up of languages in Scottish education.

Last week The Herald on Sunday revealed that the German Ambassador to the UK Miguel Berger raised his fears with the First Minister at the dramatic drop in pupils learning French and German in schools during a face to face meeting at Bute House at the end of October.

Responding to the article, the Scottish Government underlined its commitment to modern language teaching in schools.

According to a BBC report today it is understood the withdrawal of honours degrees courses at the University of Aberdeen is an option being considered with the university saying it had seen falling demand for language degrees.

Scots language: Should the ‘mither tongue’ be promoted and protected?

25 November 2023 (The Courier)

It is the language that Courier columnist and Scots language expert Alistair Heather once described as the “partially submerged language of a partially submerged nation”.

Scots, known as the “mither tongue” is spoken by over 1.5 million people in Scotland, principally in the lowlands and northern isles.

It’s been the language used by government, kings and courts in Scotland, as well as by poets and playwrights like Rabbie Burns and Rona Munro.

Yet in the latter half of the 20th century, Scots began to be seen as vulgar, or common, and has been denigrated as ‘slang’ or ‘ned speak’.

Aberdeen Postcard Campaign

20 November 2023 (University Council for Languages)

In the context of threats to Modern Languages degrees at the University of Aberdeen, an online postcard campaign has been launched.

The University of Aberdeen is facing a sudden major financial deficit, in the context of which it has announced that it intends to make ‘drastic changes’ to LLMVC (School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture), with a particular focus on Modern Languages. It has been indicated so far that the University will be committed to languages learning but is not necessarily aspiring to maintaining languages degrees (in French, Gaelic, German and Spanish).

Please support the Postcard Campaign to showcase to Senior Management at the University of Aberdeen all the reasons why an ancient university with an international outlook should keep language degrees.

Visit the University Council for Languages website to see how you can take part and disseminate.

SQA marker opportunities 2024

20 November 2023 (SQA)

Every year SQA recruits approximately 11,000 teachers and lecturers as markers for the National Qualifications exam diet. Recruitment for the 2024 exams is currently underway, with opportunities available across all subjects and levels including languages.

SQA markers play a key role in supporting the exam diet, ensuring the consistent application of national standards. They gain valuable insight into SQA processes, procedures and national standards for a subject and level. It provides the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge, as well as allowing you to gather evidence for continuing professional development.

You can apply to be a marker if you are currently teaching the subject(s) you wish to mark and have been doing so for a minimum of two years. Full training will be provided.

To find out more about the marker role or apply, please visit the SQA website.

Japanese taster sessions for senior phase students

20 November 2023 (University of Glasgow)

Taster sessions in Japanese for senior phase students offered by the MFL unit, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, University of Glasgow.

We are looking for schools which would be interested in our taster sessions in Japanese; we can deliver them on their own premises on Fridays in January and February 2024 (exact dates TBC). Our tutors will deliver one-hour sessions focusing on some basic aspects of the language and on cultural elements such as, for instance, traditional food, manga and anime. Some information about options in terms of learning Japanese at the University of Glasgow will also be provided. Please contact: Emanuela.Ponti@glasgow.ac.uk

Posted in: Senior Phase, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations, Japanese

Ambassador raises alarm with FM over fall in pupils taking German

19 November 2023 (The Herald)

A senior European diplomat has urged the First Minister to help reverse the trend in the falling number of pupils in Scotland studying German and other languages.

The German Ambassador to the UK Miguel Berger raised his concerns with Humza Yousaf about the matter when he met him at Bute House in Edinburgh.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Certificate of Continued Education (CCEd) in Mandarin

17 November 2023 (SCILT/CISS)

SCILT is currently in the planning stages with the faculty of Humanities and Social Science (HaSS) at the University of Strathclyde and partners in China to develop a Certificate of Continued Education (CCEd) in Mandarin. It is envisaged that the online, live-streamed course will be aimed at GTCS registered teachers of languages who would like to add Mandarin to the repertoire of languages they are qualified to teach. The course will be delivered over three years offering a full 120 credits, plus a summer school in China that will count towards the GTCS residency requirement. We are considering ways to make funding available for teachers in state schools in Scotland to help meet the costs of fees and to contribute to the cost of their salaries once they are fully qualified and teaching the language to National Qualification level. We are hopeful that the first cohort of this new CCEd course will start their studies in September 2024.

If you think this might be of interest to you, in order to help us plan and ascertain the potential appetite for such a scheme, we would be grateful if you could fill out this form or scan the QR code below to register your interest by Friday 1 December 2023.

QR code to register interest in Certificate of Continued Education in Mandarin

Posted in: Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, National Qualifications, Strathclyde University, SCILT news, CISS news

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages updates

30 October 2023 (SQA)

Visiting assessment (performance talking) guidance and STL forms have been published on the SQA's Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage. These can be found in the Visiting Examining dropdown section.

Scottish Languages Employability Award - next deadline approaching!

26 October 2023 (SCILT)

The Scottish Languages Employability Award (SLEA) celebrates schools delivering DYW through languages and school-business partnerships whilst recognising good practice in this area. The award, which is available at bronze, silver and gold levels, supports teachers in raising awareness of the value of language skills in their school community.

The next deadline for submissions is Friday 17 November 2023.

Visit the SLEA webpage for more information.

Tes Scotland’s 10 questions with... Gillian Campbell-Thow

13 October 2023 (TES)

Gillian Campbell-Thow took over as secondary headteacher at Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu (Glasgow Gaelic School) earlier this year.

A languages teacher by background, she tells us about broadening approaches to Gaelic-medium education (GME), the need to stay calm during pupils’ crises and how the culture around teaching has changed during her time in the profession.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Language Teaching, Languages in the press

RZSS Programmes for Schools

12 October 2023 (RZSS)

RZSS Science in the Language Class - Many free language resources are available on the Science in Language Class website. There are a wide range of resources for Mandarin, Spanish and French along with free outreach sessions. Next year look out for further resources available in German and Gaelic and a new upper primary course for Spanish.

Mandarin course - The Mandarin upper primary course is 3 weeks virtual sessions followed by an expert for the day! (An in-person outreach visit to your school which can include other sessions for additional classes.)

Giants - A free outreach session aimed at upper primary level which can be linked to either Spanish or Mandarin.

Stripy Tails - A free outreach session aimed at upper primary level which can be linked to either French or Mandarin.

Contact srobb@rzss.org.uk for bookings. All are fully booked to December but there are still a few opportunities left from January 2024.

See the Beyond the Panda webpage for details and resources.

BSL: Signs of success for all to see as Dingwall Academy takes lead in tackling interpreter crisis

11 October 2023 (Press and Journal)

Dingwall Academy is leading the way in addressing an interpreter crisis by producing the next generation of British Sign Language (BSL) experts.

The Highland school has been at the forefront of deaf education for more than 30 years. As well as having additional resources for deaf pupils, the school is specially soundproofed.

And now it’s offering SQA qualifications in BSL up to the equivalent of Higher.

Which is timely, given the Scottish Government has now recognised the “ongoing issues surrounding the shortages” of BSL interpreters.

Posted in: Scotland, Interpreting, Language Learning, Languages in the press, BSL

SLEA - Local

6 October 2023 (SCILT)

The SLEA (Scottish Languages Employability Award) family is expanding! We have now launched the SLEA – Local, which aims to encourage and support the development of partnership activities involving a number of schools within a local area or network. The SLEA – Local recognises and rewards employability-focused partnerships organised at a wider local level by teachers, DYW officers or cluster leads.

For more information and details of how to apply, as well as the chance to read about our very first winners from Ayshire Chamber of Commerce and surrounding schools, visit the SLEA – Local webpage.

To find out more about how this fits in with the SLEA family, see the main SLEA award webpage.

And watch this space for the next family member, coming in 2024; the SLEA – Green!

eSgoil study support 2023-24

5 October 2023 (eSgoil)

Registration for eSgoil's Study Support programme is now open!

Study Support is for Senior Phase learners who are working towards National Qualifications, with weekly evening webinars during term time covering a wide range of subjects and levels, including Gaelic, French and Spanish.

Visit the eSgoil website for full programme details and to register. Programme commences week beginning 30 October.

French courses in Glasgow for adults and children

3 October 2023 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for autumn term courses. There are options available for children and adults. Follow the relevant link below for more information and to enrol.

French courses for children and teens
French courses for adults (online assessment available to establish your level)
Rugby Workshop - 13 October 2023, 1.30 - 3.00pm - if you love the sport and want to develop your rugby vocab this is the event for you! (booking charge applies)

The organisation provides many other opportunities and events to discover French language and culture. Visit their website to find out more.

Japanese Taster Course

2 October 2023 (eSgoil)

The beginner Japanese course run by University of Edinburgh in conjunction with eSgoil is aimed at pupils S1-S6 who would like an introduction to basic Japanese language and culture. No previous knowledge of Japanese language is required.

The six-part course runs from November to December 2023.

Visit the website for more information and to register interest.

MTOT registration deadline approaching!

28 September 2023 (SCILT)

Schools in Scotland wishing to take part in this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition have until National Poetry Day on 5 October to register!

Visit our website to learn more about the competition and discover poetry resources to help you celebrate National Poetry Day in class as well as prepare for the MTOT competition.

It's the 10th anniversary year of MTOT in Scotland, so join in the celebration - visit our website and register your school now!

Invite a team of Strathclyde Language Ambassadors to your school!

28 September 2023 (University of Strathclyde)

At the University of Strathclyde, beyond supporting the Language Ambassadors Online and the Language Explorers Programme, we are still offering on-site visits in 2023-24.

So, get your learners to discover the joys of discovering a new culture and learning and being able to use another language by organising a visit from one of our Language Ambassadors teams to your school!

Our Language Ambassadors are students of French, Italian, Mandarin or Spanish, on various degrees, including BA Honours in French and Spanish, International Business and a Modern Language, Law and a Language but also Engineering and Science degrees and they are keen to share their experiences of learning and using their languages as well as discovering new cultures.

This programme is free of charge and provides student role models to promote languages to young people in your school. We aim to encourage your learners to engage with young adults who have decided to study languages at university and to have a positive impact on the number of learners who choose languages as part of their high school curriculum.

We can deliver a range of activities, such as:

A presentation about their experiences as university language learners and their experiences abroad;
Q&A sessions about the benefits of studying a language;
A small group discussion for Senior phase students who have already selected a language;
Micro-presentations as part of a school-wide event

Want to book a visit from a Language Ambassadors team in 2023-24? Simply contact Cédric Moreau now!

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Ambassadors, Language Learning, Partnership Working, Promoting Languages, Strathclyde University, News from language & education organisations

Language Ambassadors Online: new sessions available to book!

28 September 2023 (SCILT)

SCILT’s Language Ambassadors Programme has relaunched as a fully online offer available to all schools across the country. Our interactive monthly online sessions are led by student Language Ambassadors from universities across Scotland who are keen to share their experiences of learning languages and discovering new cultures.

Visit our Language Ambassadors Programme webpage to find out more about the programme and to register to bring your class(es) along to any/all of the sessions listed!

Virtual Spanish and Latin American Film Festival - University of Stirling / Pragda

21 September 2023 (University of Stirling)

Spanish and Latin American Studies at the University of Stirling are hosting a Spanish and Latin American Film Festival as part of the Spanish Film Club series, made possible with the support of Pragda, SPAIN Arts & Culture, and the Secretary of State for Culture of Spain.

This term, we are screening two films:

Carajita available Friday 6^th to Friday 13^th October 2023

Niñas araña available Wednesday 8^th to Wednesday 15^th November 2023

If you would like your learners to access one or both of these virtual film screenings, please register via this form to receive the sign-in information for the screening room and the associated discussion guides.

If you have any questions or would like further information about this initiative, please contact Fiona Noble (fiona.noble@stir.ac.uk).

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Maths Week Scotland 2023 - Maths wi nae borders

15 September 2023 (Maths Week Scotland)

Inspired by the annual Mathématiques sans Frontières contest, this mini-competition includes a language element and is for any class to complete together.

The Maths wi nae borders challenge launches on 18 September 2023. Entries should be submitted by 23 October.

Visit the Maths Week Scotland website for more information.

Scottish Gaelic is worth learning says our Scotsman readers and here are 21 reasons why

12 September 2023 (The Scotsman)

Scotland’s endangered Celtic tongue has struggled against critics discounting its worth time and again. So, we took the national debate to our Scotsman readers who confirm that Gaelic is worth learning and here’s why.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

DYW Live – Languages and your career is back!

12 September 2023 (SCILT)

We are delighted to be back again this year working together with e-Sgoil and DYW Live to deliver the Languages and Your Career webinar. In this session we will explore how languages can contribute to success in a wide range of jobs and career paths. This webinar aims to introduce secondary learners to the importance of languages and their associated skills in the workplace, break down stereotypes of careers that use languages, identify appropriate career pathways, and hear examples of people who use languages in their daily work. It will be an interactive session with input from people who use languages in their work.

The workshop will repeated each month on different days and times from September until January. The dates on offer are:

Tuesday 26th September: 2.00 – 3.00pm
Wednesday 25th October: 9.30 – 10.30am
Thursday 23rd November: 11.00am – 12.00pm
Monday 18th December: 9.30 – 10.30am
Tuesday 30th January: 2.00 – 3.00pm

All sessions will take place in Glow Teams.

This year, additional materials will be made available to teachers who attend the workshop with their classes to support further promotion of employability with individual languages. Watch this space!

For more information and registration details, visit the e-Sgoil website.

SNP grassroots demand more language teaching provision in schools

9 September 2023 (The Herald)

Ministers are facing a demand from the SNP grassroots to improve language teaching provision in Scottish schools after falling Higher entries for French and German.

A motion on the draft agenda to the party's conference raises concerns over the teaching in European languages for senior pupils at secondary school.

It underlines the importance of language learning as a life skill "particularly if we are striving for membership of the EU post-independence" and calls for native speakers to be recruited as language assistants to help secondary school students gain qualifications.

A total of 4,239 pupils sat French Higher in 2013 with the number falling to 2280 this year, according to the Scottish Qualifications Authority's statistics. In 2013 a total of 1051 entered German Higher compared to 520 this year.

The figures also showed an increasing trend towards pupils taking Spanish, with 1,645 Higher entries in the subject in 2013 rising to 2605 this year (overtaking French).

However, Scotland is considerably lagging behind the Republic of Ireland which has made language teaching a central part of its successful economic strategy with GDP growing by 12% in 2022, compared to 4% for the UK's.

(Note, subscription may be required to access full article)

Welcoming Languages: teaching a ‘refugee language’ to school staff to enact the principle of integration as a two-way process

5 September 2023 (University of Glasgow)

This recently published article discusses the outcomes of the Welcoming Languages project, collaboratively run by the University of Glasgow and the Arabic Center of the Islamic University of Gaza (Palestine). The project taught Arabic as a ‘refugee language’ to primary school staff so they could welcome Arabic speaking children and families.

The article can now be read open access on the publisher's website.

Scottish Gaelic and Scots Difference Explained: Scotland’s oldest living language revealed

4 September 2023 (The Scotsman)

English has been Scotland’s main language since the 18th century, prior to that many people spoke ‘Scottish’ whether that was Scots or Gaelic [..] here is an overview of Scots and Scottish Gaelic that explains their differences, the heritage that underpins them and which is considered Scotland’s oldest living language.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages updates

4 September 2023 (SQA)

Updates have been added to the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage.

New specimen question papers can be found in the Past Papers and Marking Instructions section and an assessment resources summary in the Course Support section.

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages: new resources to support with performance-talking

1 September 2023 (SQA)

From session 2023-24, the Advanced Higher Modern Languages performance-talking coursework task returns to its usual format, with a duration of approximately 20 minutes. The requirement to discuss aspects of the portfolio has also been reinstated.

We have created two new SQA Academy courses to help you with this coursework task. An updated performance-talking audio presentation is also available from our Understanding Standards website.

SQA Academy course – Performance-talking

This course provides an overview of what the Advanced Higher performance-talking assessment involves – including its purpose, structure, preparation for the assessment, the Subject Topic List (STL) form and how performance-talking is assessed.

SQA Academy course – A day in the life of a visiting assessor

This second course outlines the role of the Modern Languages performance-talking visiting assessor and describes what happens before, during and after the assessment of performance-talking. You may find it useful to share this course with your learners.

Access the courses from the SQA Academy website

SQA Understanding Standards – updated audio presentation

An updated audio presentation on the Advanced Higher performance-talking for session 2023-24 is also available from the Modern Languages pages of the Understanding Standards website (select the language, then ‘presentations’ from the page menu).

View the performance-talking audio presentation.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations, SQA

Language Cafés

31 August 2023 (SCILT)

Are you a Secondary PGDE student, NQT or ECT of Languages? Would you like the chance to network informally with others in the same boat across the country to share ideas and strategies, and even to chat in other languages from time to time? Then come along to our new monthly drop-in sessions! These will take place online on the last Thursday of each month, starting in September.

Dates are as follows:

Thursday 28 September 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 26 October 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 30 November 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 25 January 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 29 February 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 28 March 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 25 April 4.30 – 5.30pm
Thursday 30 May 4.30 – 5.30pm

These sessions will take place on Corporate Teams. Visit our Eventbrite page to book; see you there!

Posted in: All Languages, Scotland, Careers, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education

Language Ambassadors Programme - European Day of Languages launch

31 August 2023 (SCILT)

SCILT’s Language Ambassadors Programme is relaunching this year! We will be offering interactive monthly online sessions led by student Language Ambassadors from universities across Scotland. These sessions are designed to promote languages to young people and to encourage learners to choose languages as part of their learning experience by hearing directly from near-peer role models. Our Language Ambassadors are students of various languages on a range of degree programmes who are keen to share their experiences of learning languages and discovering new cultures.

The first session will take place on European Day of Languages itself, Tuesday 26 September 11.00 – 11.45. The session will take place on Microsoft Teams. For more information and to book to bring your class(es) along, visit our Eventbrite booking page.

Please note: Some universities will also able to offer in-person Language Ambassador visits to individual schools throughout the year. These allow the opportunity for language students to deliver presentations, participate in discussions and support events in schools. These are arranged directly between schools and universities. A list of university contacts is coming soon to our website – watch this space!

Posted in: Scotland, Language Ambassadors, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, SCILT news

French Film Festival free learning programme for schools

31 August 2023 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival UK Learning Programme is once again delighted to bring French-speaking cinema free of charge to schools this November and December! All the films in the selection are in French with English subtitles.

Each of the four films will be accompanied by new learning packs in French and English.

Download the programme and start planning your screenings now!

FFF 2023 In-School Learning Programme

Student Film Review Awards

The Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland will once again award prizes for the best film reviews submitted by students in Scotland.

The Learning Programme is grateful for the generous support of the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, TotalEnergies, the Institut français worldwide network, the Hugh Fraser Foundation, and SCILT (Scotland’s National Centre for Languages).

More information about the Festival can be found on the French Film Festival website.

University of Edinburgh Centre for Open Learning courses

29 August 2023 (University of Edinburgh)

Languages for All, at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Open Learning (COL), will launch two new Short Courses in General English and Ukrainian this October. These courses will complement the existing range of Short Courses in languages including Arabic, British Sign Language, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili and Turkish.

Languages for All have also expanded the University-Wide Language Programme for Undergraduate and Postgraduate students at the University of Edinburgh, offering credit courses in British Sign Language, Gaelic, Swahili and Ukrainian.

Visit our new Languages for All website to view our full offering.

Concours de la Francophonie 2024

29 August 2023 (Institut français)

Le Concours de la Francophonie 2024 is now open!

The national school competition's aim is to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland to enjoy the French language. It has always been a great way of celebrating the international day of la francophonie. In 2023, over 500 pupils from 25 schools all over Scotland took part in the competition.

All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French.

The theme of the competition this year is: “Paris Olympic Games 2024: Ouvrons grand les jeux!”

Visit the Institut français website for full details and entry criteria. Submission deadline is 31 January 2024.

Our World 2023-24

22 August 2023 (SEET)

Registration for the SEET’s Our World project 2023-24 is now open and totally free to enter! Just fill in this quick form to sign up your school: https://ourworldproject.wufoo.com/forms/z1fa1wdl0fdqs2a/

Our World is a language learning and global citizenship-based filmmaking project for S1 - S6 pupils. It's designed to complement the Curriculum for Excellence and help tackle the Attainment Challenge by providing a free project which uses an interdisciplinary approach to encourage pupils to become more engaged in their language learning.

Teams of 4 (S1 - S6) design a storyboard which outlines the film they propose to make. This year's films must include the use of a language other than English and should touch on the theme of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Each team must choose at least one of the 17 SDGs to focus their film on.

SEET supports teachers and pupils throughout the whole process, starting with our introductory CLPL session for teachers on Tuesday 12 September 2023.

Visit the SEET website for more information and register to take part.

Mother Tongue Other Tongue 2024 - 10 year anniversary!

18 August 2023 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce that MTOT is back for 2024, and it’s an extra special year - MTOT celebrates its 10^th anniversary!

Over the last decade the competition has evolved from written poems in the beginning, to now focussing on the spoken word. Hearing pupils share their voices and language skills helps bring their poetry to life, and we look forward to seeing what creative brilliance emerges from Scotland’s schools this year. In this 10th anniversary year, we are delighted and very excited to work with our partners at Instituto Cervantes to offer a special prize category for entries in Spanish, one of the most widely taught languages in Scotland’s schools.

So, if you have entered MTOT before, we’d love to welcome you back. If you are new to MTOT, what better year to join than our 10^th anniversary year? Our multilingual poetry competition is now open. Visit our MTOT page on the SCILT website for more information and register your school now.

MTOT is 10 years old – come join the celebration!

Workshops for student and early career teachers

18 August 2023 (SCILT)

NEW for 2023-24! Building on our track record of supporting student teachers and early career teachers, this year we have launched a specific menu of workshops tailored to the needs of student teachers and early career teachers in primary and secondary sectors. Importantly, the development of this menu was informed by student teachers, probationer mentors and teacher educators.

Are you a probationer/ECT support manager or professional learning officer for your local authority?

Are you a programme lead or module lead on an undergraduate or postgraduate ITE programme for primary or secondary teaching at a Scottish university?

Yes? Then workshops from the brand new SCILT ECT Professional Learning menu 2023-24 could complement the content of your existing modules or professional learning programme for the newest entrants to our profession.

Interactive, up-to-date and relevant, these SCILT workshops give student teachers and early career teachers the opportunity to explore aspects of practice with their peers. Online or in person. No charge.

In terms of content, secondary workshops focus on developing practice to support skills development, classroom management and support for application and interview for languages posts. Meanwhile, primary workshops focus on introductory approaches and interdisciplinary contexts for teaching languages eg digital, outdoor, DYW and intercultural understanding.

See the full menu and the booking request form.

Remember, if there is anything particular that your student or early career teachers need, we are always happy to develop bespoke inputs too. Email scilt@strath.ac.uk with any queries.

PS - Also coming soon, sector specific professional learning for student and early career teachers available to book by individuals. Schedules for our new language cafés, themed asynchronous and drop-in style get togethers will also be published very soon.

Posted in: Scotland, Careers, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

SCILT CLPL workshop menu 2023-24

17 August 2023 (SCILT)

SCILT’s brand new CLPL workshop menu for 2023-24 is available for your booking requests.

Are you responsible for sourcing high quality professional learning related to languages pedagogy for groups of colleagues in your setting, cluster, local authority or RIC?

You will be interested in our new professional learning offer for all sectors.

The content of the eleven workshops is informed by feedback from teachers and practitioners on their professional learning needs. If your needs are different, we are more than happy to develop the bespoke inputs you and your colleagues require. Just ask.

Always interactive and up-to-date, SCILT workshops provide the opportunity for you and your colleagues to explore aspects of practice with our experienced Professional Development Officers. Our team has a finite capacity, so get in your request as soon as you can.

The focus of workshops for 2023-24 are wide ranging, covering the following issues:

Cross Sector

Primary-Secondary Transition

Primary and Early Years

Families on board? Developing a family friendly approach to languages in your setting
Getting outdoors with languages and learning
Celebrating cultural diversity through languages in EY and primary
An introduction to multilingual approaches to primary pedagogy
Languages in primary: assessing pupils’ learning, evaluating teaching

Secondary

Policy, planning and practice in BGE (in partnership with Education Scotland)
Emerging contexts for language learning
Talking and listening
Using language skills across the curriculum
Social-Emotional Learning for languages

For more details, and to make a request for a group visit our Professional Learning webpage.

Note that open access online workshops will also be scheduled across the year. Registration for these will be open to individuals and details will be shared in the SCILT ebulletin in due course.

French courses in Glasgow for adults and children

15 August 2023 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now taking enrolments for French courses commencing in September 2023.

Visit the website for further information and to enrol. If you're unsure of your level you can also take a free online test to assess which class would be most suitable or you can head along to the Open Day on Saturday 2 September from 10:00am until 1:30pm.

Oh là là - concerns over uptake of languages Highers

10 August 2023 (TES)

New Scottish national data shows a drop in uptake of languages at Higher since 2019, the last year before the Covid pandemic.

The decrease in French entries is particularly steep and, after many years as the most popular language in Scottish schools, uptake is now lower than for Spanish.

However, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (widely known as SCILT) says there is better news in National 5 figures, which suggest there may be the beginnings of a comeback from the Covid years.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Goethe-Institut: German for schools

8 August 2023 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut in Glasgow are offering the following opportunities for schools in the 2023-24 academic session. Follow the relevant link to find out more:

German days for pupils - visit the Goethe-Institut Glasgow with your school class. Your pupils will learn firsthand about German language and culture. We offer various activities designed to show that learning German can be fun and is relevant.
German Language Adventure - this fast-paced motivational game aims to spark interest in German culture and language and can be played by up to 100 pupils (P7-S2 level). Can be offered at school or at the Goethe-Institut.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, German, Scotland, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

New Edinburgh University degree to address decline in BSL teachers

5 August 2023 (The Herald)

The University of Edinburgh is to create a new undergraduate degree in Primary Education with British Sign Language (BSL) to help tackle a decline in the number of qualified teachers of deaf children.

Research for/by the National Deaf Children’s Society shows that the number of Teachers of the Deaf (TOD) in Scotland has decreased by 40% in the past decade, with 45% of remaining teachers expected to retire over the next 10 years. In addition, statistics from the Consortium for Research Into Deaf Education found that almost 40% of councils in Scotland did not involve a ToD in the three statutory early years checks. These are regular reviews that assess young children on their development in numerous areas, such as, their hearing, which is where the expertise of a ToD would be crucial for a Deaf child.

Alison Hendry, the former BSL Development Officer at the University of Edinburgh praised the announcement of the new degree. She said: “I think it is a really positive development because by having the degree, it will allow Deaf people to become Teachers of the Deaf and provide positive role models for young Deaf people coming through the system.”

Posted in: Primary, Scotland, Language Teaching, Languages in the press, BSL

Scotland’s Gaelic Landscape: Do you know how to read a Scottish map? 21 Gaelic terms for beginners

20 July 2023 (The Scotsman)

Spoken only by a small percentage of Scots today, Gaelic was once Scotland’s main language which is why it is intrinsically linked to the Scottish landscape where we see Gaelic place names that connect us to our heritage.

Here is an essential guide for beginners to get you acquainted with Scotland’s most-used Gaelic vocabulary and test your knowledge at the end with the wee quiz!

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Scots Language Awards launch search for leid's 'heroes'

18 July 2023 (The National)

Nominations have opened for the 2023 Scots Language Awards, giving the public a chance to commend their personal Scots language heroes.

The awards ceremony will take place at Johnstone Town Hall, in partnership with Paisley.is, on Saturday, September 16, showcasing the best of Scots language and culture.

[..] The awards, which began in 2019, celebrate the importance of Scots language within arts and culture but also in daily life, education, and business. Nominations will close on Sunday 30 July.

Posted in: Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press, Scots

Rural schools disproportionately affected by lack of language teachers

17 July 2023 (The Herald)

Rural schools are being disproportionately affected by falling numbers of language teachers.

According to the recent Scottish Teacher census, there have been huge drops in the number of English, French, German and Italian teachers since 2010.

Analysis by the Scottish Conservatives found that rural schools account for 58.9% of all losses.

The learning of at least one language is compulsory until the third year of secondary school, and there is growing evidence that they boost brain power and improve performance in other academic areas.

Nationally, English teacher numbers have declined by 141, from 2,788 in 2010 to 2,647, with rural schools losing 153.

In French, 319 teachers were lost, declining from 947 to 628, and 135 affecting local authorities in remote areas.

German teachers declined by 83, from 166 in 2010, across Scotland, 34 of which came from rural schools.

Meanwhile, Italian teachers declined from 10 in 2010 to seven in 2022. There are currently no rural schools with an Italian teacher.

Deaf councillor hails move for British Sign Language option in South Lanarkshire high schools

10 July 2023 (Daily Record)

Calderside Academy in Blantyre will pilot British Sign Language as a language option this August when the schools return from their summer break.

Posted in: Scotland, Curriculum, Language Learning, Languages in the press, BSL

Clydebank school pupils praised after landing top award

6 July 2023 (Clydebank Post)

A Clydebank school was said to have 'impressed judges' on their way to picking up a top educational award for languages.

Pupils across three age groups at St Peter the Apostle High School were praised for their 'passion' for languages such as Gaelic and Spanish as they landed the Gold Scottish Languages Employability Award from SCILT - Gold Scottish Languages Employability Award from SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages and the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools.

The recognition award - launched in 2019 - was developed by SCILT as a way of delivering DYW (Developing the Young Workforce) through languages, encouraging school-business partnerships and recognising good practice in this area.

Scottish Gaelic Edinburgh Place Names: 13 Locations in the capital city rooted in Gaelic

30 June 2023 (The Scotsman)

While the origins of Gaelic are rooted in the Highlands and Islands, the language forms a major part of Scottish heritage and has found its place even in lowland areas like Edinburgh.

[..] Here are 13 place names connected to Scottish Gaelic according to Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

Glasgow school's mission to help families break down language barriers

21 June 2023 (Glasgow Times)

A Glasgow secondary school where 35 different languages are spoken by pupils and their families held a successful pilot for a new Saturday morning club.

Rosshall Academy on the Southside of the city offered parents an ESOL (English as a Second or Other Language) workshop as part of Refugee Festival Scotland Week.

MTOT 2022-23 and Voices of Hope

16 June 2023 (SCILT)

Finalists' work from this year's MTOT competition can now be viewed on the SCILT website.

As part of our Mother Tongue Other Tongue poetry competition, SCILT received several entries from young Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war in Ukraine. We wanted the world to be able to access these wonderfully creative and emotive pieces of writing. Our Voices of Hope online exhibition, in partnership with AUGB, will be launched on 21 June as part of Refugee Week Scotland 2023 and will be available on SCILT's website following the launch event.

Coming soon! CCEd in French @ University of Strathclyde

16 June 2023 (University of Strathclyde)

Are you interested in upskilling your French to GTCS-accredited standard? Then this could be the course for you! The University of Strathclyde currently offers a three-year Certificate of Continuing Education (CCEd) qualification in Italian and in Spanish and plans to offer it in French from session 2023-24.

The CCEd is an intensive beginners’ class that will bring you up to first-year university standard in a year, with the option of continuing your studies into second year and up to university pass degree level within three years.

Classes will be in person on campus in Glasgow during term time on Tuesday evenings.

Further information and application details will be advertised soon via the SCILT bulletin/website and the University of Strathclyde website and communication channels.

For more information and to register your interest, the course contact is Joan-Emilie Lefever-Rhodes (joan.lefever@strath.ac.uk).

Posted in: HE, French, Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Strathclyde University, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Scotland China Education Network - Administrative and Communications Officer

15 June 2023 (SCEN)

The Scotland China Education Network (SCEN) is seeking a part-time Administrative and Communications Officer to provide general administrative support for the Chair of SCEN, the Trustees as required, and in co-ordinating the work and various meetings of SCEN. They will also be responsible for the management and upkeep of the SCEN website, e-newsletters, and its social media accounts.

Full details can be found in the attached job advert and job description below.

CVs and Cover Letters are to be submitted to SCEN@ct.me by Monday 3 July at 4pm.

Related Files

Posted in: Chinese, Scotland, News from language & education organisations

Calling teachers of Italian in Scotland!

15 June 2023 (SCILT)

Dr Paul Hare, Professional Development Officer at SCILT and Senior Teaching Fellow in Italian at the University of Strathclyde, is in the early stages of designing a project to bring together teachers of Italian in Scotland - practising, dormant and newly qualified. The vision is to create a community, to make teachers of Italian feel more connected, and to facilitate the sharing of ideas and resources, which will hopefully, in turn, enable Italian to grow in Scottish schools. If you are a teacher of Italian in a school in Scotland (either currently teaching it or keen to introduce it) and interested in receiving more information in the months ahead, please send Paul an email (paul.hare@strath.ac.uk) and he’ll add you to the database.

Posted in: Italian, Scotland, Language Teaching, SCILT news

Online team-teaching model - A sustainable approach to support language delivery in the primary

13 June 2023 (South West EIC / Northern Alliance)

This pilot delivered French, Spanish and Gaelic live lessons using Microsoft Teams in Glow and was offered to schools across Scotland between January and May 2023.

You can now find out about the far-reaching impact of this initiative by reading the case study attached below.

Related Files

Online team-teaching - A sustainable approach to teaching languages (1.45 MB)

Posted in: Primary, French, Gaelic, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

CISS Newsletter - Summer 2023

13 June 2023 (CISS)

The latest edition of the CISS newsletter has been published. Read about the many activities and initiatives going on across the Confucius Classroom Hub Network and CISS’s work to support the learning and teaching of Mandarin, including competitions, online learning and events.

Scottish Education Awards 2023 - Gaelic Education

8 June 2023 (Scottish Education Awards)

Congratulations to James Gillespie's High School, winners of the Gaelic Education Award at this year's Scottish Education Awards held on 7 June.

Well done too to Goodlyburn Primary and Dunoon Grammar for making the final shortlist.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, News from language & education organisations

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival - Free Online School programme - October 2023

6 June 2023 (ESFF)

The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival will celebrate ten years of Spanish cinema in schools this October.

During the week 2 - 6 October, classrooms across the UK can have online access to three films:

Los Futbolísimos (The Footballest)
Rara (Weird)
CartasVivas (Living Letters) *For S5-S6 only*

Each film will be accompanied by worksheets so that the students can delve deeper into the themes discussed, once the film has been watched.

Visit the ESFF website to book tickets and receive the access code.

Summer classes and workshops at Alliance Française Glasgow

6 June 2023 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for adult classes and workshops for both adults and children taking place this summer.

Follow the relevant link below for more information and to enrol:

Summer adult classes - classes for complete beginner to advanced, commencing 19 June 2023.
Summer workshops - topic-based workshops for adults to improve their French; fun workshops for primary aged children.

Posted in: French, Scotland, Language Learning - Adults, Language Learning - Primary, News from language & education organisations

Young Scots Writer o the Year Award 2023

6 June 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)

Scottish Book Trust, together with Hands Up for Trad, Scots Hoose, Education Scotland and Scottish Government, are running a competition to find Scotland’s ‘Young Scots writer of the Year’.

Stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing – we want to see it all, as long as it's in Scots and under 2500 words or up to ten minutes.

The competition is open to 11-18 year-olds, and entries should be submitted by midday on Wednesday 21 June 2023.

Visit the Scottish Book Trust website for more information and submission guidelines.

Is Welsh the most spoken Celtic tongue? How the small UK nation punched above its weight explained

5 June 2023 (The Scotsman)

Wales has 900,600 speakers of Welsh (impressive for a nation of around three million) but of Scotland’s five and a half million roughly 60,000 alone speak Gaelic - how did this happen?

According to data published by the Welsh Government in last year’s Annual Population Survey, an estimated 29.5% of their population was able to speak Welsh i.e., 900,600. Impressively, of our Celtic heritage languages in Britain, Welsh is the only one that is not considered endangered by UNESCO.

For others like Scottish Gaelic and Irish, the census data instils less confidence. Gaelic inclusion has been fostered by the likes of Outlander and Duolingo, yet at most only 87,000 Scots have some ability in the language.

Espacios Increíbles 2022-23 - Winner announced!

5 June 2023 (SCILT)

Congratulations to St Luke’s High School, East Renfrewshire, on winning SCILT's Espacios Increíbles competition 2022-23.

The winner was announced at the final, held online on Wednesday 24 May 2023. A superb effort was made by all six finalist schools (Alva Academy, Dunblane High, Perth Academy, Prestwick Academy, St Andrew’s & St Bride’s High School as well as St Luke’s High School); competition was stiff and the judging panel had a very difficult decision to make.

The interdisciplinary competition for S2-S3 combines Spanish with art, design and technology. Pupils design an amazing space and present their work in Spanish.

St Luke’s High School came out top with their innovative design for a space for quiet reflection and relaxation in the courtyard of Santo Domingo Church in Lima, Peru. Their design was inspired by San Martín de Porres, who is the Patron Saint of Racial Equality, and is buried there.

They clearly demonstrated how they had worked collaboratively, drawing on art, design and Spanish skills to create a feasible and sustainable design which connected well to the local environment and linked to their school.

The other five finalist schools also did an amazing job, with a variety of creative designs meeting the brief for a sustainable space for health and wellbeing including a water tower providing clean drinking water, a library and coffee shop, a hot air balloon raising awareness of climate change, a cube promoting biodiversity and a health centre for the poor.

All the finalists enjoyed the final and the opportunity to present their designs to a live audience, hear from inspiring guest speakers who spoke about their work in architecture and the opportunities that learning Spanish had given them, and take part in some fun games that tested their Spanish. Congratulations to all our teams for Espacios Increíbles 2023!

Posted in: S1-S3, Spanish, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, SCILT news

Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23 - Winners announced!

2 June 2023 (SCILT)

Félicitations to Mearns Castle High, winners of this year’s edition of Le Foot et la Francophonie!

Following the pilot last year, Le Foot was rolled out nationally in 2022-23, engaging over forty schools, from Shetland to Stranraer, and attracting video entries from twenty-four teams across ten schools. Following a shortlisting process conducted by a panel at SCILT, the finalists invited to take part in the live event at the University of Strathclyde on Thursday 1 June came from Biggar High (two teams), Kinross High, Prestwick Academy, Kilmarnock Academy and Mearns Castle High.

As was the case during the pilot edition, Le Foot, an interdisciplinary project incorporating benchmarks, experiences and outcomes in Modern Languages, Physical Education and Health and Wellbeing, generated huge enthusiasm in the schools which integrated the project into their S2 and S3 programmes. Again, participation fired the creative imagination of the learners, some of whom had previously shown limited interest in French, while their teachers built on the legacy of the pilot project by creating and sharing a wealth of new resources covering the four key skills of reading, listening, talking and writing, focussing on the Francophone world and including strong anti-racism messages. The pupils who took part, numbering well over one thousand, were encouraged to consider the vital importance of additional languages to a broad range of careers associated with professional sports.

The six teams of pupils were joined at the final by their teachers and classmates who came along to support them. On the panel of judges were Cédric Moreau (Subject Leader for French, University of Strathclyde), Lisa Hanna (Depute Director of SCILT), Kandi Higgins (Course Leader for PGDE in Modern Languages, University of Strathclyde), Cara Lamb (Course Leader for PGDE in Physical Education, University of Strathclyde) and Mark Cunningham (graduate in Spanish and Education, and qualified football coach). After presenting their football-themed videos in French, the teams performed football drills, which included commands in French, and all pupils present were put through their paces in a range of drills designed and delivered by newly qualified PE teachers from the University’s School of Education. Those in attendance then heard a video message from former Scotland footballer John Collins, who learned French during his two-year spell at AS Monaco, before some closing remarks from Fhiona Mackay (Director of SCILT). The all important winner’s announcement saw Mearns Castle claim the trophy, together with a visit to Hampden Park, where the winning team will be given a French-focussed tour of the stadium and the Scottish Football Museum.

For more information on Le Foot et la Francophonie, including a range of football-themed resources for second and third level BGE French, see the page dedicated to the project on the SCILT website.

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize 2023 - Winners announced!

1 June 2023 (SCILT)

The final of this year’s Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize took place on Tuesday 30 May. This prize, run in partnership between the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland and SCILT, was established in 2021 in honour of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon’s long and active life in the Franco-Scottish Community.

The awards ceremony was held on Zoom with opening remarks and announcement of the winner by Lord Brodie, President of the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland. Mme Laurence Païs, Consule Générale de France and Directrice de l’Institut Français d’Écosse.

First place and runners-up spots were closely contested, with the awards ultimately going to the following:

First place

Lola Guatelli (Robert Gordon’s College)

Runners-up

Toby Reid (Harlaw Academy)
Renata Csapai (St Margaret’s Academy)

Highly commended for reaching the final six were also:

Dishan Aloysius (Holyrood Secondary School)
Maya McGowan (Bearsden Academy)
Ailie Wright (Inverkeithing High School)

Congratulations go to these finalists and to all those who took part in this competition! The standard of French was very high indeed and judging decisions came down to the finest of margins.

The 2023 awards ceremony will shortly be published on both the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland and SCILT websites.

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, SCILT news

N5, H & AH Gaelic/Gàidhlig courses 2023/24 for schools

31 May 2023 (e-Sgoil)

E-Sgoil offers Gaelic courses designed by award-winning staff, with the language coming alive through regular, interactive, online lessons, and quality digital support materials.

The National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses are designed to help develop skills and knowledge rapidly, getting even those learners with no Gaelic at the start of the course to a level of confidence and fluency quickly.

Visit the website for more information and to register interest for the 2023-24 session.

SEET's Multilingual Day 2023

19 May 2023 (SEET)

It's our birthday! SEET is proud to be 30 years old this June, and we are using this as an opportunity to raise awareness for language learning in our school communities.

Here at SEET, we are fortunate to work with hundreds of schools each year across the Euroquiz and Our World projects. We would like to use this platform to bring everyone together, have fun with languages and celebrate the hard work of the thousands of young linguists we work with across the country each year.

Interested in taking part? Pupils should work together to organise a language-themed fundraiser at school between March-June. This should be an opportunity to show off creativity and have fun with languages! 50% of proceeds will be allocated to your own school fund, and 50% will be shared with our charity to further support young people with their language learning across Scotland. There will also be prizes for the most unique ideas and for the school that raises the most.

Visit SEET's dedicated web page for full details and to sign up to raise awareness of language learning!

Young Scots Writer o the Year Award 2023

19 May 2023 (Scots Language Centre)

Scottish Book Trust, together with Hands Up for Trad, Scots Hoose, Education Scotland and Scottish Government, are running a competition to find Scotland’s ‘Young Scots writer of the Year’.

The competition is open to 11-18 year-olds, and entries should be submitted by midday on Wednesday 21 June 2023.

Visit the Scots Language Centre website for more information and submission guidelines.

Words for the World winning entries now online!

19 May 2023 (SCILT)

Congratulations again to everyone who took part in our recent Words for the World competition.

Following the awards ceremony on 25 April, and the announcement of the winners’ names, we are now delighted to be able to publish the winning, highly commended and other finalist entries in each category. We are sure that you will be impressed by the fantastic linguistic diversity, creativity and passion that all the finalists show. Well done everyone!

At the awards ceremony we were delighted to be able to share a personal video message from Len Pennie, the well-known Scottish poet and Scots language and mental health advocate, which spoke of the huge difference that all of our words can make; watch her video and be inspired!

German Days Glasgow

16 May 2023 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut Glasgow are offering dates for school visits from June 2023.

Provide your students with a direct and personal look into the German language and culture. Depending on the age group and language level of your students, you can choose a programme from a range of activities for your trip to the Goethe-Institut Glasgow.

Visit the Goethe-Institut Glasgow website for more information and to register your school group.

Languages in schools: how we’re trying to win hearts and minds

10 May 2023 (TES)

Few would contest that the ability to communicate in more than one language is a very good thing. Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT), driven by this belief, supports languages wherever they are spoken, used and learned across the country, because there is growing evidence that they boost brain power, improve memory, enhance multi-tasking ability and improve performance in other academic areas.

It is therefore troubling to see a growing trend in recent years for learners in secondary schools to drop languages in favour of other subjects as they progress into later years of study.

For several years, young people in Wales have benefited from a mentoring scheme led by colleagues at the University of Cardiff, which appears to be winning hearts and minds. So, when we heard that the Northern Alliance, the University of Aberdeen and the Open University were planning a similar collaboration, we at SCILT felt compelled to get involved so that similar opportunities could be offered to young people in Scotland. From these initial discussions, Scotland’s Language Explorer Programme was born.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Languages in schools: how we’re trying to win hearts and minds

10 May 2023 (TES)

Few would contest that the ability to communicate in more than one language is a very good thing. Scotland’s National Centre for Languages (SCILT), driven by this belief, supports languages wherever they are spoken, used and learned across the country, because there is growing evidence that they boost brain power, improve memory, enhance multi-tasking ability and improve performance in other academic areas.

It is therefore troubling to see a growing trend in recent years for learners in secondary schools to drop languages in favour of other subjects as they progress into later years of study.

For several years, young people in Wales have benefited from a mentoring scheme led by colleagues at the University of Cardiff, which appears to be winning hearts and minds. So, when we heard that the Northern Alliance, the University of Aberdeen and the Open University were planning a similar collaboration, we at SCILT felt compelled to get involved so that similar opportunities could be offered to young people in Scotland. From these initial discussions, Scotland’s Language Explorer Programme was born.

(Note - subscription required to access full article)

Scottish Gaelic Edinburgh Place Names: 13 locations in the capital rooted in Gaelic

5 May 2023 (The Scotsman)

While the origins of Gaelic are rooted in the Highlands and Islands, the language forms a major part of Scottish heritage and has found its place even in lowland areas like Edinburgh.

Well over a decade ago, the Scottish Census revealed that Edinburgh held 5,935 people who were ‘skilled’ in Gaelic. The Scottish capital is internationally renowned as a cultural hub with fascinating history (and even a UNESCO World Heritage site) so it’s unsurprising that the heritage language found its place there.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

A Global Citizenship Approach to French - Free new materials for French learners!!

4 May 2023 (Scotdec / University of Stirling / SCILT)

‘Remembering Empire’ is an interdisciplinary learning programme for pupils of French in S3 and AH, developed by Dr Fiona Barclay (University of Stirling) with the support of the AHRC to build language competence and global citizenship values by exploring France’s empire in Algeria. You can read more about the project and materials on SCILT's website.

Join Scotdec for a series of workshops for BGE and AH French teachers alongside Dr Barclay introducing you to the materials, and providing guidance on discussing themes of colonisation, immigration and refugees within the context of a Global Citizenship approach. More information, dates and sign-up information on the flyer attached below.

In addition, SCILT and Scotdec are joining forces to present a webinar on Active Global Citizenship Through Modern Languages on Thursday 1 June, 4-5pm. As well as general strategies, this webinar will also introduce the Remembering Empire project materials. Register for the free event!

Related Files

Remembering Empire Flyer (129 KB)

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Partnership Working, Resources, SCILT news, News from language & education organisations

Words for the World - Winners announced!

4 May 2023 (SCILT)

Congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s Words for the World competition.

We had a very high standard of entries submitted in a range of formats and different languages. Our young people here in Scotland demonstrated a wealth of linguistic diversity, creativity and immense passion for protecting our planet, our humanity and creating a brighter future for us all. We were truly humbled and inspired by their work and they should all be incredibly proud of their achievements.

Judging proved exceptionally difficult, but we were delighted to announce the winning entries at an online awards event held last week to celebrate Earth Day. Well done again to the following who were successful in their respective categories and thank you to every pupil who participated in the competition.

P1-P4

Winner – Libby Gow, Goodlyburn Primary
Highly commended – Jamie Rettie, Goodlyburn Primary

P5-P7

Winner – Sophia Chan, ESMS Junior School
Highly commended – Halima Jemal, Toryglen Primary
Highly commended – Leena Valluri, Goodlyburn Primary

S1-S3

Winner - Deepak Krisna Kumaar, Craigmount High
Highly commended – 1W & 1Q class entry, Holy Rood RC High
Highly commended – Rory Turner, Portree High

S4-S6

Winner - Dianna-Liza Boychuk, Craigmount High
Highly commended - Wessam Kawarit, Craigmount High

Winners and highly commended entrants will receive a book token and certificate and have their work showcased on the SCILT website in due course, whilst all participants will receive a certificate in recognition of their hard work.

You can find out more about the competition on our Words for the World webpage.

Caitlin learned Ukrainian to welcome her friend to Monifieth High – and won poetry competition

4 May 2023 (Dundee Courier)

When Caitlin Anderson, 14, was asked to look after a Ukrainian refugee joining her school it was the start of a special friendship.

As Caitlin helped Veronika Raziievska, also 14, improve her English and settle into her new surroundings, she decided she should make the effort to learn her language.

And as well as making Veronika’s new life at Monifieth High School a little easier, that resulted in Caitlin winning a national competition for a poem she subsequently wrote in Ukrainian.

When she entered the Mother Tongue Other Tongue contest, Caitlin told Veronika’s story to raise awareness of what she and other refugees had endured as a result of the war in Ukraine.

We met the S2 pupils to hear about their friendship and how that resulted in Caitlin’s award-winning poem.

Posted in: S1-S3, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Migration, Languages in the press, Refugees

RZSS Programmes for Schools

2 May 2023 (RZSS)

RZSS Beyond the Panda

Although the giant pandas are returning to China at the end of this year, Beyond the Panda is still continuing.

The new Mandarin upper primary course is 3 weeks virtual sessions followed by an expert for the day! (An in-person outreach visit to your school which can include other sessions for additional classes).

RZSS Science in the Language Class

Choose from one of the outreach sessions linked to Mandarin, Spanish or French. Resources also available in other languages.

All resources, courses and outreach are free of charge.

Visit the Beyond the Panda website for details.

Language courses for pupils at Edinburgh College

27 April 2023 (Edinburgh College)

School pupils who find their chosen language qualification is not offered in their school can study their NQ language course online for free with Edinburgh College.

The college offers National 5 courses in French, German and Spanish as well as Higher and Advanced Higher French, German, Italian and Spanish.

See the attached flyer for details.

Related Files

Edinburgh College Modern Lang Online Courses (195 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Proposed Ambassador Award

24 April 2023 (SCQF)

As part of our continuous review of the SCQF School Ambassador programme, we are investigating the possibility of a new ‘Ambassador’ award that schools could use to gain some formal recognition for young people involved as pupil ambassadors.

The proposed award would be flexible to allow pupils involved in any ambassador programme to take part, meaning that those involved in MyWOW, Young STEM leaders, or any other programmes could gain an SQA award too.

To progress with the idea, SQA would like to gauge interest within schools and we can go from there.

If you have a Language Ambassador Programme in your school, this could be an ideal way to award participants.

Visit the SCQF website for more information and to register your school's interest in the initiative.

Open University TeLT programme - Registration now open!

20 April 2023 (Open University)

TeLT is the Teachers Learning to Teach Languages programme offered by the Open University, and developed in partnership with SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages. Now in its 7^th year, this professional learning opportunity is aimed at educators working in the primary sector and carries GTCS Professional Recognition.

Students learn a language – French, German, Mandarin or Spanish - and in parallel, get to put primary language pedagogies into practice with their own pupils. The programme is offered at two levels – beginners and post-beginners.

Registration for 2023-24 intake is now open. Enrolment closes 7 September 2023. Modules begin in October.

Visit the TeLT website for full details about how the course works and how to register. For further information please contact: Scotland-languages@open.ac.uk.

Scotland’s Next Generation Young Makars

18 April 2023 (Scottish Poetry Library)

The Scottish Poetry Library seeks submissions to its talent development scheme for poetry writers aged 16 to 25 years. We are looking for poets and poetry that are unique, imaginative and bold – a lot like Scotland itself.

We will select five young makars in total: four poets writing in English or Scots, and a writer in Scottish Gaelic. A bursary of £500 will be made available to each poet to support their engagement with the programme.

Visit the Scottish Poetry Library website for more information and submit applications by 28 April 2023.

SEET's Multilingual Day 2023

18 April 2023 (SEET)

It's our birthday! SEET is proud to be 30 years old this June, and we are using this as an opportunity to raise awareness for language learning in our school communities.

Here at SEET, we are fortunate to work with hundreds of schools each year across the Euroquiz and Our World projects. We would like to use this platform to bring everyone together, have fun with languages and celebrate the hard work of the thousands of young linguists we work with across the country each year.

Interested in taking part? Pupils should work together to organise a language-themed fundraiser at school between March-June. This should be an opportunity to show off creativity and have fun with languages! 50% of proceeds will be allocated to your own school fund, and 50% will be shared with our charity to further support young people with their language learning across Scotland. There will also be prizes for the most unique ideas and for the school that raises the most.

Visit SEET's dedicated web page for full details and to sign up to raise awareness of language learning!

How Latin aims to expand its reach in Scottish state schools

28 March 2023 (TES)

Despite Scotland not producing any new Latin or classical studies teachers, a new project is raising hopes that the language of ancient Rome can be revived in schools.

[..] Dr Henry Stead (of the University of St Andrews) and I (at Monifieth High School, in Angus) initiated a new project - the St Andrews Latin Outreach Scheme (Stalos) - to introduce more state-school pupils to the language of the ancient Romans.

Last year, instructors from St Andrews travelled to Monifieth in Angus once per week, where a lunchtime group of 20 enthusiastic S4-6 pupils were guided through sections of the Cambridge Latin Course over nine weeks. The class then went to the university for an end-of-course certificate presentation event. This opportunity came without the obligation of the full course - they could try an ancient language out to see if it was for them, an opportunity they would otherwise be denied.

The wider impact of the scheme has been remarkable in showing an appetite for Latin in our school. It has provided an opportunity for pupils to visit and experience the University of St Andrews and - crucially - made a case for Latin as an examination subject for us.

(Note - subscription required to access the full article)

Posted in: Senior Phase, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Kirkcaldy pupils celebrate success in national poetry competition

18 March 2023 (Fife Today)

Pupils from Valley Primary School, Kirkcaldy, have been celebrating their success in a National Poetry Competition, Mother Tongue Other Tongue.

Six P7 pupils wrote original poems in their first language to showcase and celebrate the many languages spoken at Valley Primary School.

As well as entering the competition they also shared their poems at school along with pupils reciting a range of Scots poetry.

Glasgow Gaelic School appoints new head Gillian Campbell-Thow

17 March 2023 (The Herald)

Glasgow Gaelic School’s first ‘learner’ head teacher has been appointed to lead the flagship campus as record numbers of pupils are expected to enroll this year.

In common with more than 90% of pupils at the school, Gillian Campbell-Thow is not a native speaker of the ancient Scots language.

When the city’s first primary opened in 1999 the roll was predominantly made up of pupils whose parents had ‘heritage’ Gaelic.

While the Ayrshire-born teacher’s appointment might have raised eyebrows in the early days of the school, she says “for the most part” the reaction from the community has been positive.

The 44-year-old is working towards an additional teaching qualification in Gaelic at Strathclyde University and has her own homework to do this evening.

Da chanan, da chultar, iomadh cothrom, is written on her coffee mug: two languages, two cultures, many opportunities.

The new head certainly practices what she preaches. She is fluent in Spanish and French, competent in German and could comfortably chat in Mandarin.

RZSS Programmes for Schools

16 March 2023 (RZSS)

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland runs a variety of opportunities for schools linking language learning and their conservation programmes. Follow the relevant links below to find out more about current initiatives:

'Stripy Tails' Family event at Dewars Centre, Perth on 14^th and 15^th April. StampIT has invited RZSS Stripy Tails along to their youth corner at the ASPS (Association of Scottish Philatelic Societies) Congress. Fascinating facts about the red panda from China and the ring tailed lemur from Madagascar and the programme links to French and Mandarin. Full details on Eventbrite - Stripy Tails at ASPS Congress
Stripy Tails is also one of the 'Science in the Language Class' outreach programmes for schools.
Beyond the Panda, the RZSS Mandarin programme is fully booked for this school year but taking bookings for 23-24. Beyond the Panda is continuing even though the giant pandas will return to China later this year. RZSS is still a science specialist Confucius Classroom offering virtual sessions, in-person outreach and many resources linked to Mandarin language learning. Visit the Beyond the Panda website for more information.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Chinese, French, Spanish, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Multilingual Day 2023

9 March 2023 (SEET)

It’s our birthday! SEET is proud to be 30 years old this June, and we are using this as an opportunity to raise awareness for language learning in our school communities.

Here at SEET, we are fortunate to work with hundreds of schools each year across the Euroquiz and Our World projects. We would like to use this platform to bring everyone together, have fun with languages and celebrate the hard work of the thousands of young linguists we work with across the country each year.

Interested in taking part? Pupils should work together to organise a language-themed fundraiser at school between March-June. This should be an opportunity to show off creativity and have fun with languages! See the attached flyer for more information.

Visit SEET's dedicated web page for full details and to sign up to raise awareness of language learning!

Related Files

SEET Multilingual Day (382 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Promoting Languages, News from language & education organisations

Taking the Lead with Languages

9 March 2023 (Education Scotland)

Have you ever considered how languages could be the key to unlocking leadership potential? Well, this might be the ideal moment to give it some thought as we investigate Scotland’s Languages Leadership Programme as a route worthy of exploration towards leadership opportunities.

Karen Faulds, a primary school teacher prior to joining Scotland's National Centre for Languages (SCILT) in 2019, tells us about her participation in LLP which formed part of her own leadership journey. She describes the programme as a pivotal moment in that journey and confirms it remains the best professional learning experience for her to date.

Visit the Education Scotland website to read more about Karen's experience. Registration for the 2023-24 is now open. You'll find a link to apply within the article.

Remembering Empire: Free materials to build global citizenship values and competence in French (S3 and AH)

7 March 2023 (University of Stirling)

Looking for free new materials for French learners? ‘Remembering Empire’ is an interdisciplinary learning programme for pupils of French in S3 and Advanced Higher. Developed by Dr Fiona Barclay (University of Stirling) with the support of the Arts and Humanities Research Council, ‘Remembering Empire’ builds language competence and global citizenship values by exploring France’s empire in Algeria. By focusing on the establishment of the colony, life there, and the departure of the settlers when Algeria became independent, learners are encouraged to make connections with Scotland’s history of emigration and colonisation, and with the experiences of refugees today.

The S3 programme consists of five sessions and focuses on an electronic comic book, ‘Entre ici et là-bas’, which tells the story of Jeanne, a young French girl whose family are forced to leave Algeria when it becomes independent. Waiting to board a ship, she reflects on her family’s history, from her great-grandfather who arrived in 1871 and built a farm for his family, to her own experiences of the war that led to independence. We hear about the indigenous Arab population and think about how they experienced this history.

Activities based on the comic include:

City/country names and prepositions
Asking questions and naming objects (if you had to leave home suddenly, what would you pack in your suitcase?)
Describing emotions and using être in the present (how do the different characters feel?)
Different daily routines, in Algeria and in France
Using the near future (aller + infinitive) to imagine what the characters might do in the future.

Free resources include the comic (available on Webtoons), a video-recording of the comic being read aloud by a native speaker, lesson plans for all sessions with detailed information and interactive activities, and suggested drama activities led by actors with video guides.

For learners taking Advanced Higher French, Remembering Empire offers full support for the portfolio element, including the two required texts (a play and an interview with the playwright). Five sessions of archive footage, readings and activities in French introduce learners to the history and culture of French Algeria and the war which led to independence, and give the background required to study the play.

Six sessions focus on a French play, Les Pieds Tanqués (2012). Set on a pétanque pitch, the play presents the conflicting memories of the Algerian War. Full resources include the interactive electronic text of the play and notes, a written interview with the playwright, Philippe Chuyen, lesson plans with detailed information and classroom activities, a blank fiche de lecture and character profiles for pupils to complete (plus completed versions for teachers), and a video recording of a live performance. The package also includes a plan for a potential AH Portfolio essay question.

Interested? The materials will be available from April 2023. To express an interest and be contacted then, leave your name and contact details on this form: https://forms.gle/JNoer7PA2zkAjzvg9

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

Podcast gives East Renfrewshire pupils chance to use Spanish skills

3 March 2023 (Barrhead News)

Senior pupils at an East Renfrewshire school have put their foreign language skills to good use by taking part in an international podcast.

Francesca Bell, Sam Wells, Rachael Martin and head boy James Orr, of Mearns Castle High, were interviewed for the show by Ángela Gutiérrez, from Spain, and Mariana Mejía, from Colombia.

[..] The episode featuring the four S6 pupils is called ‘Entrevistamos a estudiantes de Glasgow’ and was fully recorded in Spanish.

Posted in: Senior Phase, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Lanarkshire youngsters mark world Gaelic week

2 March 2023 (Daily Record)

Pupils at a Lanarkshire nursery celebrated world Gaelic week with a range of activities and shared the language with a special visitor.

Youngsters at Sgoil Araich, the Gaelic-language nursery at Tollbrae Primary in Airdrie, welcomed Anum Qaisar MP to their classrooms during the celebration week.

She took part in a lesson on colours and saw the pupils perform a number of “fantastic” Gaelic songs.

The recent celebration week aims to raise the profile of Gaelic in communities across the country and internationally, with figures from last year estimating that nearly a third of Scotland’s population can speak Gaelic.

Posted in: Early Years, Gaelic, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press

Easter study support 2023

2 March 2023 (e-Sgoil)

Registration for e-Sgoil's Easter study support sessions is now open.

Please note, even if you've been attending term-time evening classes you must register separately for the Easter programme.

Sessions are free to learners. Visit the website to view the timetable and sign up for your preferred sessions. Various classes available for French, German, Gaelic/Gàidhlig and Spanish from National 5 to Advanced Higher.

Research into Scots languages

2 March 2023 (UWS)

A fourth year primary education student at the University of the west of Scotland is carrying out research regarding Scots language in Scottish primary schools.

The purpose of this research is to gather information regarding how Scots is used within Scottish primary schools, as well as how teachers incorporate Scots language within the school and classroom. It will also explore teachers' attitudes to using Scots language within the school and classroom. Research is anonymous.

The student would be grateful to hear from any teacher who is able to complete the questionnaire, available through this link.

Posted in: Scotland, Research, Scots

Glasgow Film Festival 2023

28 February 2023 (Glasgow Film Festival)

Glasgow Film Festival takes place 1-12 March screening the best new releases, a host of old favourites, and some undiscovered gems.

Visit the website for full programme details. Search in the 'genre' dropdown on the What's On page for foreign language films.

Scotland’s Languages Leadership Programme 2023-24 – Applications are now open!

24 February 2023 (SCILT)

Applications for Scotland's Languages Leadership Programme 2023-24 (SLLP) open until 5pm on Monday 24 April.

The SLLP builds leadership capacity to achieve a sustainable model for leading language learning and teaching for all. Applications are welcome from colleagues with 3 years' teaching experience or equivalent, who are interested in developing approaches to language learning and in implementing change in their own contexts. This might include classroom teachers, principal teachers, heads of department, heads of faculty or languages lead practitioners.

This online programme is free of charge to state schools and offers participants the opportunity to engage with the most up-to-date information from Education Scotland and other agencies involved in the delivery of Scotland’s languages policy.

Visit our Professional Learning page for more information about the programme and how to apply. You can also sign up for an online information session which will be hosted by SCILT and Education Scotland on Thursday 23 March.

MTOT 2022-23 - Winners announced!

24 February 2023 (SCILT)

Pupils, teachers and special guests joined us online on 21 February to hear the winners of this year’s Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition. The date chosen for the event was significant being International Mother Language Day, a day to celebrate all world languages.

We are delighted to announce the following winners and highly commended entries in each category:

Mother Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Sofia Poliakova	West Primary	Russian
P1-P4	Highly commended	Jiya Srikanth	West Primary	Tamil
P5-P7	Winner	Ariana Misankova	West Primary	Slovakian
	Highly commended	Arina Fomenko	Williamsburgh PS	Russian-Ukrainian
	Highly commended	Nikola Arimovica	Valley Primary	Russian
	Highly commended	Misha Levdykov	Kilbarchan Primary	Russian-Ukrainian
S1-S3	Winner	Shadan Alousy	Bishopbriggs Academy	Arabic
	Highly commended	Eve Joshi	Bearsden Academy	Danish
	Highly commended	Lynn Januschke	Madras College	German
	Highly commended	Michaela Mileva	St Joseph’s Academy	Bulgarian
S4-S6	Winner	Oleksandra Lotytska	Rosshall Academy	Ukrainian
S4-S6	Highly commended	Lucia d’Alessio	Bishopbriggs Academy	Italian
Other Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Mabel Sainsbury	Kilmodan Primary	French
P1-P4	Highly commended	P1 Class	Canaan Lane Primary	French
P5-P7	Winner	Kathryn Morley	Kilmodan Primary	French
	Highly commended	Giles Leigh	Kilmodan Primary	French
	Highly commended	Masha Naumenko	Thorn Primary	Ukrainian
S1-S3	Winner	Caitlin Anderson	Monifieth High	Ukrainian
	Highly commended	Laila Strokosch	Mearns Castle High	French
	Highly commended	Molly Innes	Madras College	French
	Highly commended	Zach Bartlett	Madras College	French
S4-S6	Winner	Jessica Smith	Monifieth High	French
	Highly commended	Aiman Mohammad	Renfrew High	French
	Highly commended	Aimee Carroll	Mintlaw Academy	German
	Highly commended	Jessica Smith	Monifieth High	Spanish
	Highly commended	Roux Scott	Loudoun Academy	Spanish

All our finalists will receive a certificate and book token. Winning entrants will also be offered the chance for their poems to feature in The Children's Poetry Archive and Kids Poetry Club podcast. We will be in contact with schools shortly about taking these extra special opportunities forward.

This year we were also delighted to host a special strand of the competition focusing on Ukrainian languages. The winning entries in this category were:

Primary – Arina Fomenko, Williamsburgh Primary
Secondary – Dianna-Liza Boyckuk, Craigmount High

Teachers with students who entered in this category will be contacted separately regarding their awards.

It is our intention to host each of the finalists’ poems on the SCILT website and we'll announce when these are available.

Congratulations again to all our finalists!

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, Mother Tongue, SCILT news

Putting Gaelic firmly on the tourism map

23 February 2023 (The Herald)

Scotland is famous for many things, its scenery, its history, its people and of course, our distinct and vibrant culture.

Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) is a fantastic celebration of one of the most valuable aspects of our cultural heritage; our language. It helps recognise the role Gaelic plays in shaping our culture and raise awareness of the language with audiences the world over. We are hugely excited to be part of it and share this story with our visitors.

But this week is also a timely reminder of why we must preserve Gaelic for future generations, for our future visitors but also for the communities who use it.

Responsible tourism is at the heart of everything we do at VisitScotland, and this includes protecting Scotland’s culture and heritage. We recognise the importance of preserving those assets, which are so vital to Scotland’s brand and make Scotland so unique.

Gaelic and its rich culture provide an extra layer of authenticity for visitors with a unique experience you can only truly have in Scotland. This only strengthens the destination connection we know means so much to visitors.

Online French and Spanish Courses for Secondary Teachers

16 February 2023 (LFEE)

LFEE Europe is again offering their online GTCS-accredited course for Secondary teachers.

Participants to this course will meet the GTCS requirements for residency.

The course will run from March to May 2023.

Visit the LFEE website for further information about the course and fees.

Education Scotland's language resources

9 February 2023 (Education Scotland)

Languages Week Scotland was celebrated from 30 January to 3 February. If you missed it, don’t worry, there are still plenty of resources to support language learners. Browse our languages wakelet for lots of useful links and resources.

‘Most adults’ should be able to speak a foreign language

3 February 2023 (TES)

For a decade it has been government policy in Scotland that children should learn two languages in school - starting their first language in P1 and their second in P5, and continuing with them until at least the third year of secondary.

However, the figures show the policy - which began being introduced in 2013 and was supposed to be fully implemented by August 2021 - has yet to be fully realised.

Research published by the government in April last year, based on a survey of 86 per cent of primary schools and 88 per cent of secondaries, shows that just 69 per cent of primary schools were delivering a second language continuously from P1 to P7.

A further 29 per cent were “partially” delivering a second language and 2 per cent were delivering no second language whatsoever.

All secondaries were delivering a second language in S1 to S3 - but not all of them were doing so continuously: 70 per cent said they were delivering the entitlement to a second language in full.

And that’s before we get to the third language.

Welcoming Languages: Including a Refugee Language in Scottish Education

3 February 2023 (University of Glasgow)

This collaborative project, carried out by an international team based at the University of Glasgow and at the Arabic Center of the Islamic University of Gaza (Palestine), explores the inclusion of a ‘refugee language’ in Scottish education as a way to enact the idea of ‘integration as a two-way process’ that is at the heart of the New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy (Scottish Government, 2018).

The project aimed to show that it is possible to make space in Scottish education for the many languages that New Scots bring with them and to give a space in Scottish schools to a greater number of languages that include those of the people who chose Scotland as their new home.

Visit the website for more information and to read the project's final report.

Write a story featuring a fox

2 February 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)

Each month the Scottish Book Trust runs a writing competition providing a prompt to get you started, but where the story goes from there is entirely up to you. The competition includes four categories: adult writers, all-age Gaelic writers, young writers 5–11 and young writers 12–18.

This month's stories must include a fox and be no longer than 50 words. Visit the Scottish Book Trust website to enter by 28 February.

Scottish Education Awards 2023

31 January 2023 (Scottish Education Awards)

Nominations are now open for this year's Scottish Education Awards.

The annual event recognises those who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcases the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms.

There are several award categories, including the award for Gaelic Education.

Visit the website for more information and submit nominations by 24 February 2023.

11 Fascinating Scottish place names and their meanings from Gaelic, to Norse, to Pictish

27 January 2023 (The Scotsman)

Scotland boasts a wealth of fascinating place names with their meanings rooted in Gaelic, Norse and Pictish, here are 10 examples that reveal this diversity of language across Scottish history.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

Languages Week 2023

26 January 2023 (SWEIC)

South West Educational Improvement Collaborative (SWEIC) is excited to launch our programme of professional learning opportunities in celebration of languages week. This year we have a wide selection of inputs, including French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Scots, Gaelic and BSL.

Our Keynote delivered by Education Scotland colleagues is A decade of 1+2 and Scotland’s changing languages landscape.

Visit the SWEIC blog to find out what's planned for the week and how to take part.

Schools programme

26 January 2023 (Institut français)

All year round, the Institut français d’Écosse offers a variety of language workshops and Immersion days to support pupils and teachers in primary and secondary schools. Give your students the opportunity to be surrounded by the French language and supported by our team of qualified, native-speaking French teachers and friendly staff. Maximum group of 20 pupils.

More information is available on the attached flyer or you can visit the Institut français website.

Related Files

Flyer cinema and workshop 2023 IFE VF (6.74 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Why Gaelic is the talk of Scotland

23 January 2023 (The Herald)

Bòrd na Gàidhlig is the principal public body in Scotland responsible for promoting Gaelic development, including providing advice to Scottish Ministers on Gaelic issues.

Amongst a range of functions, it produces the National Gaelic Language Plan for Ministerial approval, oversees the development and implementation of Gaelic Language Plans by Public Authorities, distributes funds for the development of the Gaelic language, provides leadership and advice in support of Gaelic language initiatives and initiates and implements other projects.

It also promotes Gaelic locally, nationally and internationally, with this work being informed by listening and reacting to the needs of communities.

[..] Thanks to support from Bòrd Na Gàidhlig, and huge interest from Gaelic speakers across Scotland and around the world, February 2023 sees the second official global Scottish Gaelic language week; Seachdain na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) taking place through a series of in-person and online events.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press

French and Spanish free trials

23 January 2023 (La Jolie Ronde)

To support Languages Week Scotland, La Jolie Ronde are offering Schools now and throughout February, FREE trials of their French and Spanish Scheme of Work for P3-P6. To take up this offer email: schools@lajolieronde.co.uk (quote SCILT).

Plus, parents can book a FREE trial session of a French and/or Spanish class run through their network of Scottish tutors - local tutors can be found on La Jolie Ronde's website.

Young Scots Writer o the Year Award 2023

19 January 2023 (Scottish Book Trust)

Are you someone with stories to share? Or a teacher working with young writers we should know about? We're looking for our next Scots writer of the year.

Stories, poems, spoken word pieces, comics, videos or other pieces of writing – we want to see it all, as long as it's in Scots and under 2500 words or up to ten minutes. Open to Scots writers aged 11-18. Enter by 21 June 2023.

Concours de la Francophonie 2023

12 January 2023 (Institut français)

Since its launch in 2016 by the Institut français d’Ecosse, le Concours de la francophonie, a national school competition to encourage all young French learners and their teachers around Scotland enjoying French language, has been a great way of celebrating the international day of la francophonie.

Throughout the years, many schools across Scotland have taken part in the competition and we hope to receive great entries this year again!

All Scottish primary and secondary schools offering French may enter this competition by submitting a short video of a classroom activity in French. The theme of the competition this year is : “PLAY” - “JOUER” en français. Deadline extended to 31 January 2023.

Visit the Institut français website or see the attached flyer for more information.

Related Files

Concours de la Francophonie 2023 VFF (651 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Free live streamed Mandarin NQ classes with CISS

9 January 2023 (SCILT/CISS)

You can now register interest to take part in our online National Qualification Mandarin classes with our GTCS Mandarin teachers.

Please see the flyer for more information, a teacher testimonial and the link to register your interest. If you cannot access the registration link through the flyer you can find the form here:

All the information is also available on the CISS website.

Related Files

Discovering China NQ (1.33 MB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, SCILT news, CISS news

Mathématiques sans Frontières competition

16 December 2022 (UWS)

The University of the West of Scotland (UWS), coupled with the Scottish Mathematical Council, is organising the world-wide Mathematics and Language competition “Mathématiques sans Frontières” in Scotland (and rUK). We are hopeful that we continue to offer a stimulating and light-hearted competition for S4-S6 pupils which combines Mathematics and Modern Languages. For those of you who have not taken part previously, this competition aims to motivate pupils in these subjects, promote teamwork throughout pupils of all abilities, and bridge borders between countries across the world.

Attached is a discovery training test for “Mathématiques Sans Frontières” alongside some more formal competition instructions, and an entry proforma for the competition. Entry deadline: 27 January 2023.

You can also find more information on the UWS Mathématiques sans Frontières website.

Lesley Duncan: You can help the Scots language thrive

11 December 2022 (The Herald)

The Herald has long backed Scottish writers, whether writing in Scots or 'standard' English. In recent years, young Scots poet and Herald columnist Len Pennie has popularised the language via her online Scots Word of the Day. And, of course, we run a Scots Word of the Week each Saturday from our friends at the Dictionaries of the Scots Language.

So we are delighted to get behind annual McCash Scots Poetry Competition, run jointly by The Herald and Glasgow University.

The contest celebrates our traditional language in all its forms, and aims to support it. This year a first prize of £200 and three runner-up prizes of £100 are to be won. Poets can submit material on any theme of their choice.

Posted in: Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press, Scots

CISS Chinese New Year Poster Competition 2023

8 December 2022 (CISS)

CISS is delighted to announce a poster competition for primary schools to celebrate the forthcoming Year of the Rabbit!

Deadline for entries: Friday 13 January 2023

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN ENTRY - entries submitted by email will not be accepted.

The competition is open to all primary schools in Scotland.

DETAILS:

Design a poster to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit!

Entries will be judged against the criteria below. Please submit a high quality photo or scan of each entry.

Please make sure posters include:

The rabbit
Mandarin Chinese language/characters
The year 2023

The winning entry will receive a prize and be featured online, and the poster will be used as the CISS Chinese New Year e-card!

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, CISS news

RZSS Beyond the Panda

7 December 2022 (RZSS)

RZSS Beyond the Panda offers a range of FREE courses and outreach visits. Please see beyondthepanda.org.uk for full details.

These include:

5 week course aimed at upper primary but may also be of interest to lower secondary. Four weeks live virtual sessions, followed by an in-person outreach. Linked to Mandarin language learning.

Single outreach sessions which compare two RZSS projects and aimed at upper primary:
Giants: the giant panda from China and the giant anteater from South America - available in either Mandarin or Spanish.
Stripy Tails: (available from April 2023 but bookings open and best to book early) the red panda from China and the ring-tailed lemur from Madagascar - available in either Mandarin or French.

There may also be availability for lower primary and some opportunities for secondary. For any of the sessions, contact srobb@rzzz.org.uk

Please book in well in advance. Fully booked to April 2023 but spaces available in May and June.

Learn Gaelic

6 December 2022 (Education Scotland / e-Sgoil)

Learn Gaelic, Scotland’s oldest National Language, online with other students from across Scotland via e-Sgoil, working in partnership with UHI Outer Hebrides.

Courses Available: National 5 Gaelic Learners, Higher Gaelic Learners, National 5 Gaidhlig (fluent speakers), Higher Gaidhlig (fluent speakers).

Frequency: Twice weekly, draft timetable available but this can be flexible to some degree to meet the needs of Learners.

Format: Online lessons via Microsoft Teams.

Offered at both National 5 and Higher, and with courses designed by award-winning staff, Gaelic comes alive through regular, interactive, online lessons, and quality digital support materials.

Learning Gaelic opens doors to many things, including exciting career choices, further education, Scottish culture, history, geography, tourism and wellbeing. Now is your chance to become part of this rich and rewarding world.

The National 5 and Higher courses are designed to help develop skills and knowledge rapidly, getting even those learners with no Gaelic at the start of the course to a level of confidence and fluency quickly. Self-study and independent learning are important elements of the course but there is a wealth of support and resources at your fingertips.

You will meet and make friends with other young people from across Scotland.

This course may be most attractive to students with interests in languages, traditional music, outdoor activities, the media, citizenship, history, or indeed any subject matter.

Gabh an cothrom! Seize the opportunity!

Visit the website or register provisional interest here and someone will be in touch to discuss with you: https://forms.office.com/e/6gLdv307Y4

Lennie Pennie: Debunking the myths about the Scots language

2 December 2022 (The Herald)

I’m biased when it comes to the Scots language: I'm a speaker, educator and a massive nerd.

I acknowledge not everyone has the same level of passion when it comes to research and engagement, so they might not know much about the language and its cultural context.

This week, I've enlisted the help of an independent fact-checker, Ferret Fact Service (FFS), to look at the truth behind some common claims which endure about Scots.

I encourage everyone to form conclusions based on independently-verified information. If you do find yourself shifting perspective once seeing the facts, I applaud your open-mindedness.

I like to think of ignorance as an essential, yet temporary part of every learning journey, so whether you know nothing about Scots yet or you've already formed your own opinions, I hope this article can be of use to you.

Posted in: Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

Gaelic Medium National Discussion

24 November 2022 (e-Sgoil)

A video resource has been produced which can be used by Gaelic Medium class teachers (Primary & Secondary) to facilitate conversations around the National Discussion. The video is designed to be a 'stop & start' activity where learners are encouraged to take time to think through how they would answer each of the 4 questions below:

Nuair a tha thu a’ smaoineachadh mu dheidhinn ionnsachadh no foghlam tro mheadhan na Gaidhlig, de na faclan a tha a’ tighinn a-steach ort?
Nam biodh cothrom agad sgoil ur a thoiseachadh, de na rudan a bhiodh cudthromach dhut? Carson?
De bhiodh na chuideachadh dhut barrachd Gaidhlig a chleachdadh san sgoil? Carson?
Nan robh agad ri recipe a sgriobhadh airson foghlam tro mheadhan na Gaidhlig anns an t-am ri teachd, de na coig rudan a dh’fheumadh a bhith ann?

The video is presented by Linda Macleod and is available on the e-Sgoil website.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Gaelic, Scotland, Language Policy

Scottish Gaelic Awards 2023

22 November 2022 (Scottish Gaelic Awards)

Nominations for the 2023 Scottish Gaelic Awards are now open!

The Awards reward all aspects of the Gaelic language and culture across the length and breadth of the country.

Visit the website for more information on the award categories and submit nominations by 8 January 2023.

SEET Euroquiz Project for P6

22 November 2022 (SEET)

The Scottish European Educational Trust (SEET) runs language learning and global citizenship projects for children and young people across Scotland. Euroquiz is an annual project open to all P6 pupils across Scotland, which sees teams of four working together to broaden their knowledge of Europe and the wider world. Subjects covered include languages, history, geography, culture and European affairs. Heats take place in local authorities from February to April, with the winning teams from all areas progressing to the National Euroquiz Final held in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament in June.

To enter your team, please complete the Registration Form for schools and return to your local authority Euroquiz organiser. All schools in Scotland will receive this information directly from their local authority organiser. If you have not received a form, or do not know who your local organiser is, please get in touch with SEET: jane@seet.org.uk

We recently provided a CLPL session for interested teachers. Please find a full recording of the event here: https://youtu.be/un8iL3wN7-s

A downloadable flyer for schools is also attached.

More information about Euroquiz available on SEET's website or by emailing jane@seet.org.uk.

Related Files

Euroquiz flyer for schools (5.95 MB)

Posted in: Primary, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Spanish and French live virtual lessons for pupils: 10-week block

17 November 2022 (Argyll & Bute/N Ayrshire Councils)

Stacey Arneil, 1+2 Development officer for North Ayrshire has teamed up with Gwen McCrossan, PT for 1+2 languages for Argyll & Bute Council to offer a 10-week pilot of live virtual lessons in French and Spanish. These lessons are suitable for learners from P4 onwards as the content bridges First and Second Level Experiences and Outcomes. The lessons would also suit as a standalone L3 topic. This offer is open to all Scottish primary schools using Glow Teams.

Each lesson will last 45 minutes. The same live lesson will run twice in the same week. You can choose to attend one, or the other. It is not necessary to stick to the same day.

The deadline for sign-up is 21 December 2022.

Follow the link below for more information and to register your class.

Concours de la Francophonie 2023

11 November 2022 (Institut français)

Institut français d’Ecosse is proud to announce its 2023 edition of Concours de la Francophonie, a school competition at national level aiming at developing communicative skills in French. The theme this year is 'PLAY' ('JOUER' in French) and there will be winners for each category : P1/P4 - P5/P7 - S1/S3 - S4/S6. Enter by 13 January 2023.

For more information see the attached flyer or contact : ife.francophonie@gmail.com

Related Files

Concours de la Francophonie 2023 (651 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Book Week Scotland 2022

10 November 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)

The annual celebration of books and reading across the country takes place 14–20 November. During Book Week, people of all ages and walks of life come together to share the joy of reading.

This year's stories have been shared on the Scottish Book Trust website and a handful of their favourites compiled in a free book. With the event focusing on 'Scotland's Stories' you'll find several told in Scots and Gaelic.

Visit the Book Week Scotland website to discover the events taking place across the week and activities and resources to help you get involved.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig: Gaelic college 'should get university status'

10 November 2022 (The Herald)

Respected Scottish writer and historian Professor James Hunter is calling for an internationally renowned college on the Isle of Skye to become Scotland’s first Gaelic University.

The move, which would require the backing of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC), would give Sabhal Mòr Ostaig its own university degree-awarding powers for the first time.

It comes as ministers warned of a crisis in a bid to keep Gaelic alive because of a dramatic shortage of teachers.

Based in the Sleat peninsula, in the south of Skye, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, is currently a currently a college delivering both Further and Higher Education, and an independent academic partner of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).

With the unique distinction of having Scottish Gaelic as the sole language of instruction on its courses, the college is regarded as having played a crucial role in the linguistic and cultural renaissance of the Gaelic language in Scotland.

MEd Education Studies course modules for language practitioners

4 November 2022 (University of Strathclyde)

The School of Education in the University of Strathclyde have developed two new modules as part of the MEd Education Studies course that may be of particular interest to languages practitioners (EYs, primary, secondary MFL, FE, EAL/ESOL, Gaelic).

Multilingual and Multicultural Education: Policy, Theory and Practice (commencing Jan 2023)

This module is designed to develop your knowledge of multilingual and multicultural contexts within education and wider society. This module will equip you with core skills for language learning and teaching and consider the role of intercultural education. You will extend your confidence in language teaching approaches within and across the curriculum. This class will encourage you to be reflective and adaptive in your practice.

Enacting Social Justice in Language Learning and Teaching (commencing April 2023)

As languages educators, how can we achieve the goal of prioritising equity, diversity, and inclusion in the languages classroom? Using theory, research and examples of innovative approaches for promoting social justice, this module is aimed at language educators in all sectors and is designed to develop your knowledge of a range of contemporary issues in language education. This module aims to develop critical thinking and reflection and consider how these impact on social justice pedagogy and agency for social change.

More information can be found in the attached flyer or visit the University of Strathclyde website.

Related Files

MEd Education Studies course new module info (105 KB)

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages course reports 2022

31 October 2022 (SQA)

The SQA has now published this year's course reports for AH Gaelic (Learners), German and Spanish.

These can be found on the Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage within the Course Reports section.

French Film Festival Learning Programme 2022

25 October 2022 (French Film Festival)

The French Film Festival 2022 Learning Programme, offering a selection of films for schools free of charge, is now live!

Check out and download the programme of films for all ages. The programme runs until Christmas.

Simply choose your titles, complete the booking form, then create your account to have free access to all the films and learning packs that go with them.

For more information contact schools@frenchfilmfestival.org.uk or visit the French Film Festival website.

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages course reports 2022

20 October 2022 (SQA)

SQA has now published the 2022 Advanced Higher Italian course report.

Visit the Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage for more information.

Gaelic broadcasting 'needs better support'

20 October 2022 (BBC)

The UK government says it is considering whether new legislation or funding would better support Gaelic broadcasting.

During a debate at Westminster, Conservative former Scotland Office minister Iain Stewart said the service required the same status enjoyed by Welsh language broadcasters.

He said Gaelic broadcasting was vital culturally and socially and delivered a positive economic impact, but needed public sector broadcast status in legislation.

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said options to improve support for the service was being looked at as part the forthcoming Media Bill.

Broadcasting is a matter reserved to Westminster.

The Scottish government said support for the Gaelic language was vital.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Funding, Languages in the press

DYW Live Sessions: Languages and your career

11 October 2022 (e-Sgoil)

Following last year's 'Languages and your career' workshop, e-Sgoil in partnership with SCILT will be hosting a series of sessions over six weeks from the end of October through to early December 2022.

Schools can sign up for as many or as few as they wish; after a first general session, the remaining five weeks will explore how a different language each week can contribute to success in a range of jobs and career paths. These will be interactive workshops featuring input from people working with the language of focus each week. These sessions aim to introduce learners (S2-S4) to the importance of languages and their associated skills in the workplace, break down stereotypes of careers that use languages, identify appropriate career pathways, and hear examples of people who use languages in their daily work.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for more information and to register interest in the sessions.

AMOPA: Parlons français - A competition for students of AH French

11 October 2022 (AMOPA)

Now that school life is back to a “new normal” AMOPA is once again running the Parlons français competition.

“It must be the easiest competition ever to take part in!” That’s a quote from a teacher and it’s true!

All we need is a short recording of students as they prepare for their speaking test. We will assess it and give everyone some feedback. We also award prizes and certificates.

We hope that taking part supports your pupils’ learning and exam preparation and is not a distraction. They are practising anyway – why not let them get some feedback on that?

As in previous years we will have prizes for the best entries, a certificate for every entrant and a gift for each school taking part too. In the last few years all schools were given a DVD of a French film.

More information is available in the attached pdf document. Entry deadline: 15 February 2023.

Related Files

Parlons français 2023 - A competition for students of AH French (215 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

SQA - Markers for 2023 exams

11 October 2022 (SQA)

SQA is recruiting markers for the external assessment of National Courses in 2022-23. Opportunities are available across all subjects and levels, and full training will be provided. Visit the SQA website to find out more.

FilmG competitions 2022

6 October 2022 (FilmG)

FilmG is an annual Gaelic short film festival which aims to foster and develop new talent for Gaelic media. Now in its 15th edition, the FilmG festival is this year offering two competitions, both focusing on this year's theme 'Buidhe (Yellow)'. Follow the relevant link below for more information:

FilmG Festival Youth Competition - under 18s create a Gaelic film under 5 minutes which is yellow in any way possible. Submit by 9 December 2022.
Film G Festival Open Competition - strand for ages 18+
10 Seconds of Yellow - young people aged 13+ produce a 10-second video that creatively uses the colour yellow. Submit by 21 October 2022.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Gaelic, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, News from language & education organisations

'Ground-breaking' language plan paves way for Scots to flourish in Shetland

5 October 2022 (The National)

A “groundbreaking” language plan in Shetland should pave the way for Scots to “gain the foothold it deserves”, a linguistics expert has said.

Professor Viveka Velupillai told The National that the language plan for Shaetlan was “an important first step” in getting it and the macro Scots language stronger recognition.

In conjunction with Dr Beth Mouat, Velupillai has succeeded in getting the University of the Highlands and Islands Shetland board to sign up to the Shaetlan Language Plan.

It means that the variant of Scots will be used on signage and in learning environments in an effort to raise the profile of Shaetlan “locally, nationally, and internationally”.

Posted in: Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

Royal National Mòd: Perth prepares for thousands of visitors

4 October 2022 (BBC)

Thousands of visitors are expected to descend on Perth later this month for the Royal National Mòd.

Scotland's annual festival of Gaelic language, culture and sport is returning to the city for the first time in 18 years.

City leaders are preparing for an influx of about 7,500 people for the eight-day event, predicted to be worth £1m to the local economy.

It begins on 14 October with a torchlit procession and an opening concert.

The Mòd will feature more than 200 competitions in music, dancing, storytelling and sport. For the first time it will also feature an art contest this year.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press

Warning of crisis in Gaelic teacher recruitment

4 October 2022 (BBC)

The teaching of Gaelic in schools is in crisis due to a shortage of new teachers, according to a study.

It suggests over the next five years a minimum of 225 teachers would be needed to meet demand, but only 25 qualified for the whole of this year.

The analysis comes from a former leader and a former education boss at Highland Council.

The Scottish government said it was committed to supporting Gaelic medium education.

Dr Michael Foxley and Prof Bruce Robertson, a former director of education at Highland Council and visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde, carried out the study. Their paper has been submitted to a Scottish government consultation on Gaelic and Scots education.

Dr Foxley and Prof Robertson said their study suggested there was already a recruitment crisis and the situation was likely to get significantly worse, with rural and island schools being the hardest hit.

They said a minimum of 135 new primary and 90 new secondary teachers would be required over the next five years to meet the needs of 19 local authorities already with Gaelic provision, or planning to introduce it.

Discovery Film Festival 2022

30 September 2022 (DCA)

Discovery Film Festival, Scotland’s international film festival for young audiences, is back for its 19th year, Sat 22 October to Sun 6 November. There's another packed programme of the best new films for young audiences from around the world - and once again the festival will be available both online and at Dundee Contemporary Arts.

Visit the website for full details.

Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23

30 September 2022 (SCILT)

We are delighted to announce the national roll-out of Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23! Following a successful pilot project with four Glasgow schools last session, we have now opened registrations for expressions of interest in Le Foot et La Francophonie 2022-23. This interdisciplinary project brings together French and professional football, opening learners’ eyes to the relevance of language learning in the world of international sports, focussing on the four core language skills and building awareness of cultures in French-speaking countries across the globe. To find out more and to register your interest in this competition, which is open to pupils in S2 and S3, please visit the SCILT website.

An initial information session for teachers will take place on Thursday 3 November (3.45 - 4.45pm) and schools will be asked to confirm their participation by Friday 11 November.

Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition

29 September 2022 (SCILT)

A reminder that schools interested in taking part in this year’s MTOT competition have until 6 October (National Poetry Day) to register. The competition provides a great opportunity for all pupils in Scotland P1-S6 to get creative with a language they speak at home (Mother Tongue) or are learning at school (Other Tongue). Students can even enter in both categories!

Gaelic education in Scotland: how much progress has been made?

23 September 2022 (TES)

In August, Renfrewshire Council became the latest Scottish local authority to introduce Gaelic-medium education for primary pupils. Now, half of Scottish councils (16 out of 32 authorities) offer primary Gaelic-medium education almost four decades on from the first primary units being established in 1985 in Glasgow and Inverness.

They began with a couple of dozen pupils in total. Now over 3,500 primary pupils are taught through the medium of Gaelic in Scotland, while many people more generally are being drawn to Gaelic - by February this year over a million people had accessed the Duolingo language learning app’s Gaelic course.

Still, experts say that the language’s future remains precarious. Wilson McLeod, professor of Gaelic at the University of Edinburgh, says it is becoming a “network language” - spoken between family members and between friends and acquaintances with the linguistic skills - but not tied to a particular geographic area.

“The idea of the tight-knit rural community where everyone speaks the same language seems less likely at this stage,” he says, while adding that “nothing is impossible with the right support and the right commitment”.

However, discussion about how far interventions should go - and the role that education should play in the promotion and preservation of Gaelic - can become clouded by politics, with the promotion of Gaelic decried by critics as a nationalist project.

But McLeod disagrees with the portrayal of the SNP “forcing Gaelic down people’s throats”. Indeed, he is highly critical of the Scottish government, accusing it of being “tentative” and “half-hearted” in its approach to the language.

The Labour-Lib Dem administration from 1999 to 2007 did more for Gaelic than has been done since the SNP came to power, he says. He describes the amount being invested by the Scottish government in Gaelic as “pitiful” and says there has been “very little serious policy in relation to Gaelic” and some “serious opportunities” missed.

In fact, McLeod argues, parents rather than politics have been the driving force behind the growth of Gaelic-medium education (GME).

Certainly, it was parents who got the first GME classes up and running in 1985 and it was parents who made the case for introducing GME in Renfrewshire in August - albeit new laws introduced by the Scottish government set out the process for such a request.

But with a Scottish Languages Bill in the offing and the government consulting until mid-November on matters Gaelic and Scots, might parents hope that in the future there will be less onus on them, that a more strategic approach be taken to Gaelic-medium education?

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

The Language Ambassadors Programme

23 September 2022 (University of Strathclyde/SCILT)

The Language Ambassadors family has grown!

For 2022-2023, the University of Strathclyde and the University of Stirling will be working together to offer an even greater variety for our visits.

In the coming session, we will be back offering on-site visits, as well as virtual visits.

So, get your learners to discover the joys of learning and being able to use another language by organising a Language Ambassadors visit to your school!

Our Language Ambassadors are students of French, Italian, Mandarin or Spanish, on a range of degree programmes. These include BA Honours in French and Spanish, Professional Education and Languages, International Business and a Modern Language, Law and a Language, Psychology and a European Language, but also Engineering and Science degrees and they are keen to share their experiences of learning and using their languages as well as discovering new cultures.

This programme provides student role models to promote languages to young people and encourage your learners to choose languages as part of their high school curriculum. It is free of charge but we expect the school to cover travelling expenses for ambassadors.

We can deliver a range of activities, such as:

A presentation about their experiences as university language learners and their experiences abroad;
Q&A sessions about the benefits of studying a language for future study and/or employability;
A small group discussion for Senior phase students who have already selected a language;
Micro-presentations as part of a school-wide event

Visit the Language Ambassadors Programme website to find out more, and how to book a visit for your school starting October 2022.

If you have any questions about The Language Ambassadors programme, please contact Cédric Moreau and Cristina Johnston.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Ambassadors, Language Learning, Promoting Languages, SCILT news

SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages course reports 2022

22 September 2022 (SQA)

The SQA has published this year's course reports for Advanced Higher French and Advanced Higher Chinese languages.

These can be found on the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage under Course Reports.

The Ramshorn Time Capsule competition 2022 – Winners announced!

22 September 2022 (SCILT)

SCILT and CISS presented a poster competition aimed at S2-S3 learners, to design the contents of their own time capsule – past or present – to join in with the celebration of Glasgow Doors Open Day 2022.

Secondary learners from across Scotland took part in the competition which provided a fantastic opportunity to share their cultural heritage, demonstrate their creativity, and showcase their language skills, both learned at school and used at home.

Congratulations to our winners, Abby Slack, S3 learner from Mearns Castle High School who won the ‘past’ category and to Emerald Li, S3 learner from Mearns Castle High School who won the ‘present’ category.

photo of Abby Slack holding her winning poster photo of Emerald Li with her winning poster

They were awarded with a £30 voucher and their work was featured in The Ramshorn exhibition as part of Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival on 16 and 17 September 2022. Well done to everyone who took part in this competition, the judging panel were impressed by all entries received and hope that you will participate again next year!

Find out more about the competition on our website.

Languages Week Scotland - save the date!

22 September 2022 (SCILT)

Languages Week Scotland is a celebration of language learning and multilingualism in Scotland. Now in its fifth year, Languages Week Scotland 2023 will take place from 30 January – 3 February and will be a week of activity across the country.

The theme for 2023 is “Languages for a peaceful world”. Language skills build trust and deepen diplomatic and cultural relations between countries and cultures; they allow for an appreciation that other cultures have different ways of doing things, building social cohesion and improving social mobility. Language skills facilitate in the individual the development of a wide spectrum of soft-skills and attributes including communication, diplomacy, negotiation and empathy[1].

Languages Week Scotland 2023 aims to celebrate how languages – spoken and signed – equip us as individuals and as a society to contribute to a peaceful world. Educational establishments, community-based groups, arts and sports organisations, social enterprises and businesses – large and small – are invited to engage with the week. Follow the hashtag #ScotlandLovesLanguages and the dedicated Twitter account @LangsWeekScot.

[1] Statements taken from reports published by the British Council and the British Academy. Access these through the SCILT website.

Posted in: Scotland, Celebrating Languages, SCILT news

Education Scotland – New resource to support 1+2 languages in primary settings

21 September 2022 (Education Scotland)

This resource, in the form of suggested weekly planners for the school session, is designed to support primary practitioners to plan and deliver languages from P1 through to P7. The resource contains suggested timeframes, contexts for learning, supports progression across the four skills in language learning from Early to Second level and contains links to helpful and free to access resources. The resource can be tailored to suit practitioners’ preferred contexts for learning.

Visit Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub website to access the new resource.

Maths Week Scotland 2022 - Maths wi nae borders

20 September 2022 (Maths Week Scotland)

Inspired by the annual Mathématiques sans Frontières contest, this mini-competition includes a language element and is for any class to complete together.

The challenge launches at the start of Maths Week Scotland on 26 September. Entries should be submitted by 22 October.

Visit the Maths Week Scotland website for more information.

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize 2022 - Winners announced!

9 September 2022 (SCILT/Franco-Scottish Society)

The Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland, in partnership with SCILT, ran the second iteration of the Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize in 2022. This prize was established in honour of Madame Jacqueline Munro-Lafon’s long and active life in the Franco-Scottish Community.

Pupils from across Scotland took part in the competition, which provides a fantastic opportunity for AH French candidates to showcase their French writing skills in a national competition. The Jacqueline Munro-Lafon French Essay Prize mirrors elements of the writing marking guidelines for AH French and offers pupils an opportunity to compete for a first-place prize of £500 and recognition on a national stage.

Candidates produced some very high quality essays. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held by Zoom on Tuesday 31 May 2022. A recording of this, along with a list of the winning entries, is now available on the Franco-Scottish Society of Scotland website.

This session’s competition will be launched before Christmas and registration for schools will open in January 2023. For more information, please visit our webpage.

e-Sgoil study support 2022-23

1 September 2022 (e-Sgoil)

Online study support sessions for learners in Scotland are again being offered by e-Sgoil. Registration for the autumn term evening webinars opens 5 September.

Visit the e-Sgoil website for details and sign-up information.

Free online French Higher and Advanced Higher workshops funded by the Franco-Scottish Society starting at the end of September

1 September 2022 (Edinburgh College)

In collaboration with Franco-Scottish Society, Edinburgh College is again offering free online courses for Higher and Advanced Higher French pupils commencing September 2022.

See the relevant flyer below for full details:

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Languages at University of Edinburgh

30 August 2022 (University of Edinburgh)

The Centre for Open Learning at the University of Edinburgh offers a diverse range of language learning options for adult learners. Follow the relevant link below for more information:

Short courses - available in Arabic, British Sign Language, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, and Turkish
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) - learners of the Japanese language can sit the internationally recognised qualification at the University of Edinburgh
Open languages - a wide range of language courses open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Edinburgh
Access Programme - a part-time programme for adult returners enabling successful participants to progress to studying a language degree

Details of the above courses can also be found on the Beyond School pages of the SCILT website.

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival: Schools programme

26 August 2022 (ESFF)

The Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival (ESFF) is back with its 9th edition, and we want you all to get involved! We are once again providing our Schools Programme for students learning Spanish as a second language. We are really excited about the two films we are offering this year at our in-person screenings.

To take part in these exciting screenings, all the information you need is in the attached document.

Related Files

ESFF letter to schools 22 (913 KB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

MTOT is back for 2022-23!

26 August 2022 (SCILT)

SCILT is delighted to announce the return of Mother Tongue Other Tongue, our multilingual poetry competition!

MTOT gives young people of all ages P1 – S6 the opportunity to showcase their language skills and creative talent. Over the years this competition has uncovered a wealth of talented young linguists: they have created songs, rhymes and poems that are unique, funny, clever, emotive and moving. Young people are asked to create an original poem/song/rap in a language other than English: this can be a language spoken at home, or a language they are learning at school. To enter, the poem should be recorded (audio or video) and sent to us along with a completed entry form.

Winning entries will receive a range of prizes, including the opportunity to have their poem included in the UK National Children’s Poetry Archive, as well as featuring in a dedicated episode of the international Kids Poetry Club podcast. This year we are highlighting the Ukrainian language, with a special prize on offer for entries from Ukrainian speakers.

Schools are invited to register interest by 6 October 2022 (National Poetry Day). Visit the MTOT webpage for more information.

We look forward to seeing another generation of young poets find their voice!

New! Early Years Creative Puppetry Case Study

26 August 2022 (SCILT)

We are beyond delighted to share with you our brand new case study that focuses on language learning in the Early Years! The Early Years Creative Puppetry project, or EYCP as it has become lovingly known, focuses on the work of a professional learning partnership (PLP) that took place during the Spring and Summer terms of 2022. The PLP involved around 40 teachers and early years practitioners from 20 schools and early learning centres across Scotland, alongside Tania Czajka, bilingual author, qualified early years practitioner and Teaching Artist and two Professional Development Officers from SCILT.

The EYCP project highlights how the use of puppet-making and bilingual storybooks can be an effective approach to support language learning at Early Level within a play-based setting. Here we share what the project entailed for educators and children, as well as the impact it has had on all participating partners.

You can access the case study directly on our website.

Access this and other case studies for Professional Learning Partnerships on our dedicated webpage.

Espacios Increíbles 2022-23

26 August 2022 (SCILT)

After the success last session of Espacios Increíbles, our inter-disciplinary learning competition combining Spanish and design, we're delighted to announce Espacios Increíbles 2022-23 is back! After last year’s hotly contested final, we know our previous competitors are keen to take part again this year and try to claim the Espacios Increíbles crown from Kinross High School but we’d like to up the stakes even more and get more schools involved. Any school from across Scotland can take part in this national competition, aimed at S2 and S3 learners of Spanish.

The Espacios Increíbles webpage has been updated with information on previous events and winners along with videos featuring some of our guest speakers at the final. Take a look to see what they had to say about their languages experience, find out more about this year's competition and register your interest in taking part.

New push to help Gaelic and Scots languages ‘thrive and grow’

24 August 2022 (TES)

A new consultation aimed at ensuring the long-term growth of the Gaelic and Scots languages has been launched today by the Scottish government.

The consultation seeks views on how to raise the profile of Scots, a new strategic approach to Gaelic-medium education (GME) and the growth of areas with a high percentage of Gaelic speakers. The consultation also covers the structure and function of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the principal public body promoting Gaelic in Scotland.

The feedback received through the consultation will help to develop the forthcoming Scottish Languages Bill. The SNP promised in its 2021 Scottish Parliament election manifesto to bring forward “a new Scottish languages Bill which takes further steps to support Gaelic, acts on the Scots language and recognises that Scotland is a multilingual society”.

(Note - subscription required to access full article).

Our World 2022-23

23 August 2022 (SEET)

Our World, the languages and citizenship based filmmaking project for secondary school pupils, is now open for registration!

SEET staff are now offering a CLPL session for teachers to help them feel more confident in taking on Our World with their class. They also offer online school visits for schools who are interested in taking part. These are aimed at pupils participating in the project.

Visit the Our World website for full details.

French courses in Glasgow

23 August 2022 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow is now enrolling for the new academic year 2022-23.

There are courses for adults and children at all levels along with exam support classes for secondary schools pupils who will be sitting their National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher French exams.

Classes commence from 12 September 2022. Visit the website for further information.

Scots and Gaelic languages should be preserved just like Scotland's wildcats and crossbills

20 August 2022 (The Scotsman)

In August 2002 Itchy Coo, an imprint dedicated to publishing books in Scots for young readers, launched its first four titles at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Twenty years on, Itchy Coo has produced more than 80 titles, ranging from board books to graphic novels and collections of poems, fables, fairy tales and stories. The list includes many translations of works by the likes of Julia Donaldson, JK Rowling, Roald Dahl and Jeff Kinney.

As one of Itchy Coo’s founders as well as an editor and contributing author, I am of course pleased by the continuing success of the project. Not only has it put thousands of braw books into the hands of bairns, their families and their teachers, it has also challenged some deep-rooted negative perceptions of Scots, both within the education system and more generally across society.

This does not mean that the negativity − equating Scots with ‘slang’ or ‘bad English’, for example, or the vilification of individual writers or performers simply for using Scots − has entirely disappeared; nor does it mean that the loss of Scots vocabulary and idiom has not been substantial in many areas. Nevertheless, there are reasons to be hopeful.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

Survey for complementary and Saturday school teachers

19 August 2022 (SCILT/Bilingualism Matters)

Bilingualism Matters and SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, are opening up opportunities for professional learning and networking for teachers in complementary and Saturday schools throughout Scotland.

flyer promoting professional learning opportunity for language teachers in Scotland's complementary and Saturday schools

Posted in: All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Online language NQ courses and workshops for school pupils

18 August 2022 (Edinburgh College)

School pupils who find their chosen language qualification is not offered in their school can study their NQ language course online for free with Edinburgh College.

In collaboration with Franco-Scottish Society, the college is again offering free online courses for Higher and Advanced Higher French pupils commencing September 2022.

See the attached flyers for full details. Links are also available on the Beyond School Supporting Schools section of the SCILT website.

Related Files

Ed College Flyer Online Learning Modern Languages 2022-23 (205 KB)
Form French workshops Higher 22-23-2 (190 KB)
Form French workshops Advanced Higher 22-23-2 (190 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

National e-Learning Offer for Gaelic (Learners)

18 August 2022 (Education Scotland)

e-Sgoil, in partnership with UHI Outer Hebrides, is offering N5 and Higher e-Learning for Gaelic (Learners). This flexible route into Gaelic Learning may be of interest to senior phase learners, in particular those in S6 with an interest in languages, culture or music. Further information can be found in the flyer below and by visiting e-Sgoil's website.

Flyer showing details of the N5 and Higher Gaelic e-learning sessions offered by eSgoil

SQA results: huge drop in students studying higher languages and sciences

9 August 2022 (News Headlines UK)

The number of pupils studying modern languages, science and maths at higher level has fallen significantly, figures released by the Scottish Qualifications Authority show.

Only 505 students took higher German in 2022, compared to 780 students in 2020, while the number of students taking French and Spanish at higher level also fell significantly.

Around 3,165 students took Higher Level French in 2020, a number that dropped to 2,500 this year. A total of 2,900 students took Higher Level Spanish in 2020, a drop to 2,465 this year.

The reasons for the sharp drop in the number of students studying modern languages at higher level are not clear, but the question of the affordability of language teaching in schools has been addressed by Holyrood’s inquiry education committee before the pandemic.

Crown Care group learn Italian

7 August 2022 (Greenock Telegraph)

Crown Care Centre clients and staff celebrated in style as they finished off a ten-week course of language learning.

A celebratory bash was held at the King Street centre following the conclusion of an Italian language course, which explored the country's food, culture and geography.

The programme was delivered by Glasgow-based Lingo Flamingo, which provide foreign language workshops for vulnerable adults across Scotland.

Posted in: Italian, Scotland, Language Learning - Adults, Languages in the press

Centenary celebration of poet who wrote in three languages

19 July 2022 (BBC)

A celebration of the centenary of a poet who wrote in three languages is being held in southern Scotland.

William Neill was born in Ayrshire in 1922 but lived in Dumfries and Galloway for much of his life.

A book of recollections, memories and tributes is being launched in Gatehouse of Fleet as part of the Big Lit festival on Thursday.

Poet Hugh McMillan said Mr Neill was not as well known as he deserved to be on the strength of his work in Scots, Gaelic and English.

Along with fellow poet Stuart Paterson, they have put together the book in his honour entitled The Leaves of the Years.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press, Scots

New research reveals Gaelic speakers' tongue movements

26 July 2022 (BBC)

Ultrasound recordings have been made of people speaking Gaelic to reveal how the tongue moves to produce the language's different sounds.

Gaelic has a large consonant system and some sounds - l, n and r - are each sounded three different ways.

The videos have been made available on a new website, Teangannan na Gàidhlig.

Researchers said the recordings could help people to learn Gaelic, and said they also shed new light on the "mechanics of bilingual speech".

Philip Gerrard: The new, long-awaited Edinburgh festival that will advance deaf culture

22 July 2022 (The Herald)

The Scottish Government wants Scotland to be “the best place for British Sign Language (BSL) users to live, work, learn and visit”.

Since the introduction of the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015, the everyday lives of Scottish deaf people have certainly improved, but there is still work to be done. Edinburgh is a world-renowned festival city, yet to date the access for deaf people to this cultural event has been patchy and unco-ordinated.

As a deaf BSL user, my overriding memory of the Fringe is one of feeling overwhelmed, but wanting to be part of it all. Deaf Action, where I have been CEO since 2017, wants to change this.

We have been a pioneering force at the forefront of the community for nearly 190 years and don’t do things by halves, so just making the festival season accessible with the add-on provision of captions and BSL/English interpreters didn’t feel enough.

Instead, we’ve added an extra dimension to this year’s season – the Edinburgh Deaf Festival, which takes place from 12-19 August 2022; a week of deaf culturally-specific events alongside an accessible festival season.

Posted in: Scotland, Celebrating Languages, Languages in the press, BSL

Youngsters can learns Scots language at Paisley school for the first time

9 July 2022 (Daily Record)

Children from across Renfrewshire will be able to learn their lessons while speaking and writing in Scottish Gaelic at a Paisley school.

For the first time, pupils can benefit from special Gaelic provision, which initially consists of one class at West Primary School, rather than going to a Gaelic school in nearby council areas.

Posted in: Primary, Gaelic, Scotland, Language Learning, Languages in the press

Buckie High kids speak language of success!

4 July 2022 (Northern Scot)

Buckie High's partnership with a major local employer has seen them scoop a prestigious national award.

For the past six years, BCHS has been working closely with Associated Seafoods Ltd (ASL), who export their salmon and other products across the globe. One of the many benefits accruing from the partnership has been the opportunity to use and expand a range of languages.

Most recently, the school and ASL were able to resume the S1 seafood project, which brought together a whole host of skills.

The hard work has brought its own rewards in that shape of a silver Scottish Languages Employability Award.

Scotland’s Young Makars

16 June 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)

Scotland’s Young Makars is a creative writing project for young poets of secondary school age in Scotland. It aims to enable young people to write, understand and engage with poetry in a wide variety of styles and forms.

The project offers free online poetry workshops and mentoring, culminating in six young makars reading their work on stage at Stanza in March 2023.

Visit the Stanza website for more information and to register interest.

University of Strathclyde MEd Education Studies - New languages modules

7 June 2022 (University of Strathclyde)

The School of Education in the University of Strathclyde has developed two new modules as part of the MEd Education Studies course that may be of particular interest to languages practitioners (EYs, primary, secondary MFL, FE, EAL/ESOL, Gaelic).

Multilingual and Multicultural Education: Policy, Theory and Practice (commencing Jan 2023)
Enacting Social Justice and Change in Language Learning and Teaching (commencing April 2023)

Practitioners who have already completed the SCILT professional learning courses (TELT and/or LLP) and have been awarded GTCS professional recognition, are eligible for accreditation of prior learning (20 Masters level credits for each course) towards gaining a full Masters degree. Likewise, teachers who have recently completed an ITE course at the University of Strathclyde may be eligible for further accreditation.

Further information about these modules and the course generally can be found in the attached information document. Details of the full suite of modules are in the attached MEd Education Studies Module Catalogue 2022-23.

Related Files

MEd Education Studies information (139 KB)
MEd Education Studies Module Catalogue 2022-23 (1.40 MB)

Posted in: Early Years, Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Qualifications, Strathclyde University, Teacher Education, News from language & education organisations

Information webinar for primary teachers in Scotland keen to learn a new language and how to teach it in their classrooms

7 June 2022 (SCILT)

Teachers Learning to Teach Languages, or TeLT for short, is a blended professional learning programme lasting 9 months that is aimed at practitioners who want to develop their practice in teaching languages to primary aged pupils.

Two information webinars for prospective students on the OU/SCILT TeLT programme are scheduled for:

Thursday 16 June, 7pm - 8pm
Tuesday 21 June, 7pm - 8pm

These webinars are open to teachers that teach languages primary schools in Scotland. Register here for your preferred webinar date.

Each 60-minute online event will introduce interested primary teachers to the primary languages programme delivered in collaboration by the Open University and SCILT from October 2022 to June 2023, where teachers can study one of four languages from scratch, learn how to teach it and apply their new skills directly as part of the course.

Participants will learn what the programme has to offer, what is required to succeed in becoming a primary languages teacher and gain professional recognition from the GTCS for the study.

Participants will hear about the impact of the study on attitudes and practice of teachers, pupils and the entire school community from OU and SCILT colleagues and find out how the course enables teachers to collaborate with primary schools across Scotland and Wales through in-programme eTwinning.

In addition, they will learn first-hand about experiences studying the course from former students, in-service primary teachers, who are now working as guest tutors on the programme. The guest tutors will also share how studying this programme has boosted their professional opportunities and employability skills.

Teachers working in other parts of the UK can find the information for the programme in their area on the Open University website.

Posted in: Primary, Scotland, CPD, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Le Foot et la Francophonie

31 May 2022 (SCILT)

Congratulations to Lourdes Secondary School, winners of SCILT’s inaugural edition of Le Foot et la Francophonie!

Le Foot has generated huge enthusiasm in the four Glasgow schools involved in the pilot project. During the autumn of 2021, teachers of French at Knightswood Secondary School, Lourdes Secondary School, Shawlands Academy and St. Roch’s Secondary School, supported by staff from SCILT, produced some high quality teaching materials based on football and the French-speaking world. To ensure that this project was truly interdisciplinary, all stakeholders collaborated on a guidance document outlining benchmarks, experiences and outcomes from Modern Languages, Physical Education and Health and Wellbeing curricular areas. They were supported in this endeavour by input from Physical Education staff in their respective schools, as well as by Cara Lamb, who leads the PGDE Secondary Physical Education course at the University of Strathclyde.

In January, Le Foot was rolled out in S2 classrooms and on school playing fields. Engagement among pupils who had previously shown limited interest in languages was particularly evident, with one of the teachers involved noting that this was “French disguised as football”! The outstanding resources produced and shared by each school cover the four core skills of reading, listening, talking and writing, encompassing the Francophone world and including strong anti-racism messages. Just as importantly, the 750 pupils who took part learned of the relevance of languages to a range of careers in professional sports – an area in which many have a keen interest.

The competitive final took place at the University of Strathclyde on 12 May. The event involved teams of pupils from each of the schools, together with classmates who came along to support them. On the panel of judges were Cédric Moreau (Subject Leader for French, University of Strathclyde), Lisa Hanna (Depute Director, SCILT), Jordan Allison (Head of Charity, Kilmarnock FC) and Mark Cunningham (final-year student in Spanish and Education, and qualified football coach). After presenting a football-themed video in French, the teams performed football drills, which included commands in French. They then heard video messages from John Collins, Christophe Berra and Ismaila Soro, before the winner’s announcement saw Lourdes Secondary School claim the trophy, together with a visit to Hampden Park, where the winning team will be given a French-focussed tour of the stadium and the Scottish Football Museum.

Watch this space for information on Le Foot et la Francophonie being rolled out nationally in 2022-23, together with further details on how your school can get involved.

Posted in: S1-S3, French, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, SCILT news, Sport

Help with research! Looking for Scottish secondary school language teachers for anti-racism study

9 May 2022 (Bilingualism Matters)

University of Edinburgh PhD candidate Mariel Deluna is investigating teacher perspectives on the relationship between “race”, language, ethnicity, and nationality.

All current Scottish secondary school language teachers are invited to participate in the study.

More information is available on the Bilingualism Matters website.

Just what languages are spoken in the UK? (It's more than English)

8 May 2022 (The Travel)

If one goes to the United Kingdom - what language can one expect people to speak? The easy answer is of course English - and naturally, everyone speaks English there. But there are actually many languages in the British Isles. For the purposes of this article, we will include the British Crown Dependencies of the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands - even though technically they are not part of the UK.

Posted in: French, Gaelic, Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Languages in the press, Scots

West Lothian students show they have gift of the gab in language comp

5 May 2022 (Daily Record)

Three high school students from Linlithgow Academy were declared West Lothian’s ‘Languagenut champions’ - awarded by a national language learning resource company.

The language education company, Languagenut, ran the competition regionally in both Glasgow and West Lothian throughout the month of March.

The Languagenut resource is accessible to students via an app or website, and supports young people in learning a modern language.

Contemporary German films

2 May 2022 (Goethe-Institut)

The Goethe-Institut in Glasgow is delighted to be offering screenings of contemporary German films in Glasgow and in Edinburgh in collaboration with the Institut français d'Écosse. Admission is free for both but booking is required. The films are in German with English subtitles. Follow the relevant link below for more information:

Cleo - Institut français, Edinburgh (24 May 2022) - The adventure, coming-of-age comedy explores the title character's desire to be able to turn back time and reverse a past misfortune.
Le Prince - Goethe-Institut, Glasgow (26 May 2022) - A story of romance challenged by cultural differences.

Posted in: German, Scotland, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations

Scotland’s Languages Landscape: The ‘Rights’ Approach event, 25 February 2022 - Recordings are now available!

29 April 2022 (SCILT)

We are pleased to announce that event materials are now available to view on our website, including video recordings from Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Keynote speaker, Bernardette Holmes MBE, Independent Languages Policy and Pedagogy Consultant and Plenary speaker, Louise Glen, Senior Education Officer at Education Scotland.

Video presentations taken from breakout discussions, including testimonials and speaker biographies are also available to view and will be of interest to the language teaching community and community-based organisations.

The event welcomed language leads, teachers and the wider languages community to share, celebrate and highlight the importance of valuing language skills and ensuring the rights of all children and young people to a language rich curriculum.

Report on 2021 language learning survey of local authorities now published

28 April 2022 (Scottish Government)

The Scottish Government, in partnership with ADES, COSLA and Education Scotland, carried out a survey of local authorities last year to gauge progress to implement the 1+2 languages policy in schools. A full report of the findings from this survey has now been published this week. Among the key findings is that nearly all primary and secondary schools are now delivering language learning throughout the Broad General Education from P1 to S3.

Writing projects and competitions

19 April 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)

The Scottish Book Trust currently has open projects and competitions for aspiring writers! Follow the relevant link below to find out more about each one:

Young Scots Writer of the Year Award - Open to ages 11-18. Writing should be in Scots, whether you write a story, poem, play, song or make a short video.
Your Stories: Scotland's Stories - Category for under-16s as well as adults. Write about real life experiences. Entries can be in any form you like – a story, poem, comic strip, play, video, audio file, or letter. Entries welcome in Gaelic, Scots and English.

Both competitions have deadlines in June 2022.

If you need some inspiration, try some of the creative tasks on the StoryCon webpage. StoryCon is Scotland's biggest creative writing and illustration conference for young people which returned in March this year. Recordings of events are available online for a limited time.

Posted in: S1-S3, Senior Phase, Gaelic, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Language Learning, News from language & education organisations, Scots

MTOT 2021-22 - Finalist poems now online!

1 April 2022 (SCILT)

We're delighted to announce the entries from all the finalists of this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue multilingual poetry competition can now be viewed on the SCILT website.

For the first time judges awarded some special commendations for entries which very narrowly missed making the final shortlist and we have some of these also available online.

We hope many of you will be inspired to take part when the 2022-23 edition launches in the Autumn!

CISS NQ Mandarin offer 2022-2023

31 March 2022 (CISS)

CISS is happy to be able to share the first details of our offer of live-streamed Mandarin NQ classes for the upcoming 2022-2023 session. This will allow schools to expand their provision for Mandarin, particularly those who do not have access to a GTCS registered teacher of Mandarin and are therefore unable to offer NQ classes. The details in the attached document will allow these courses to be added to course choice forms. The offer consists of three courses: National 4, National 5, and Higher. The start date is tentatively scheduled for early to mid-June 2022.

Please see the attached document for further information and register your interest by Friday 8 April at this link: https://hass.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dcG8IXkQ4ZLsTf

Related Files

CISS DC NQs 2022 - info (213 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, National Qualifications, CISS news

French courses from the Institut français

29 March 2022 (Institut français)

Spring term classes for adults will kick start on 19 April with general French classes, Translation club, Workshops, Literary classes and Lunch hour conversation.

Visit the website for full details and enrolment.

French language learning with Alliance Française

29 March 2022 (Alliance Française)

The Alliance Française in Glasgow offers a range of opportunities to learn about French culture and the French language. Follow the relevant link below for more information on the latest offerings:

Term D French language courses for adults (commencing 19 April)
Virtual Tour – The Palace of Versailles (Wednesday 18 May, 6-7.30pm) - Online event to celebrate the European Night of Museums 2022.

Information about the organisation's other activities can be found on their website.

Employ a Mandarin teacher - funding available

25 March 2022 (SCILT/CISS)

State schools in Scotland can apply for funding to employ a Mandarin teacher. So if you are interested in introducing Mandarin as part of your Modern Languages curriculum and want to find out more join the information session on 28 March, details are on the attached flyer.

Applicants wishing to be considered for our new round of funding for GTCS registered teachers of Mandarin Chinese should complete the short form before 5pm, Monday 16 May 2022.

Related Files

Mandarin teacher funding (5.55 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, Chinese, Scotland, Funding, Language Teaching, SCILT news, CISS news

Gaelic Arts: Drama workshops / Bùthan-obrach dràma

25 March 2022 (Glasgow Life)

Would you like to use your Gaelic in a creative way and have a go at script writing, acting, dancing or singing? Would you like to make Gaelic-speaking friends from across Glasgow? Here’s your chance to join a series of fun, informal workshops with drama professionals, for FREE!

From new speakers to fluent speakers, learners to choir singers, our community drama workshops are open to everyone with an interest in the Gaelic language.

Commencing 24 April, the series of workshops will run each Sunday through to 29 May 2022.

Visit the website to find out more and to book.

Join Scotland’s National Languages Leadership Programme Team 2022-23!

25 March 2022 (SCILT/Education Scotland)

Applications are now open for critical friends to support and challenge participants as they progress through the 2022-23 programme.

Description

Scotland's National Languages Leadership Programme supports local authorities by building capacity to achieve a sustainable model for leading language learning and teaching for all.

The critical friend role is suitable for people who:

have experience of the national languages leadership programme i.e. 1+2 Languages Leadership Programme (2017-2022) or the Train the Trainer Programme (2014-2016), or
are experienced in supporting teacher professional learning either online or face-to-face, preferably at Masters level, and
wish to help build the languages leadership capacity in all sectors of Scottish education

As an online programme, Scotland’s National Languages Leadership Programme offers participants the opportunity to engage with the most up-to-date information from Education Scotland and other agencies involved in the delivery of Scotland’s languages policy. The programme provides participants with professional learning and networking opportunities as well as flexible and personalised pathways through Masters level professional learning.

Objectives of the programme are for participants to develop:

an appreciation of leadership skills
critical and strategic reflection on their own leadership development
an understanding of a range of key issues related to Scotland’s Languages policy

Professional learning and support will be offered to critical friends throughout the year.

For more information, visit the registration page to find out how you can apply to join the LLP team as a critical friend by Tuesday 17 May. A Glow account is required to take part.

If you have any questions about applying for this role, please email scilt@strath.ac.uk and include ‘LLP Critical Friend’ in the subject line.

Related Files

Critical Friends 2022-23 (3.37 MB)
LLP Participants 2022-23 (3.48 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Online language NQ courses for school pupils with Edinburgh College

25 March 2022 (Edinburgh College)

Edinburgh College offers a range of online NQ language courses. These can be accessed across Scotland and all Scottish school pupils qualify for a full fee waiver. The courses provide a great option for pupils whose schools may not currently offer the language course on their curriculum.

The following options are available, with German and Italian new additions this year at Advanced Higher level:

Advanced Higher and Higher: French, German, Italian and Spanish
National 5: French, German and Spanish

Exam arrangements: Though enrolled with Edinburgh College, pupils still sit their exams at their own school (including the Adv Higher speaking exam).

See the attached flyer for more information and how to enrol.

Related Files

Edinburgh College Flyer - Online Learning Modern Languages 2022-23 (205 KB)

Posted in: Senior Phase, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Scotland, Language Learning, National Qualifications, News from language & education organisations

Spanish film screenings

24 March 2022 (CinemaAttic)

CinemaAttic is an organisation dedicated to showcasing independent Ibero-American cinema in Scotland with regular events throughout the year in Edinburgh, Glasgow and beyond.

We are increasing our efforts to make our programming accessible and relevant to as wide an audience as possible. Follow the relevant link below to find out more about the screenings taking place in the next week:

Mighty Flash (Edinburgh Film House, 26 March 2022) - Destello Bravío is a mysterious, dark and suggestive story; far removed from traditional narrative approaches. It is a fictional work that draws from the documentary and codes of suspense, with notes of magical realism and surrealism. It deconstructs film genres, breaks away from the traditional tale and peeks into different everyday lives to describe a state of mind: the sentiment of inhabitants in a place in process of depopulation, focusing on its women. The film also broaches the search for beauty and the longing for childhood. In the background, and as the main cause of evil, the patriarchal system and the arrival of globalisation.
Jordi's Letters (Glasgow Film Theatre, 31 March 2022) - the documentary about cerebral palsy is a poignant human story about illness, faith and the power of friendship.

Posted in: Spanish, Scotland, News from language & education organisations

Scotland's National Languages Leadership Programme 2022-23 - Submit your application now!

24 March 2022 (SCILT/Education Scotland)

Scotland's National Languages Leadership Programme supports local authorities by building capacity to achieve a sustainable model for leading language learning and teaching for all. Open to colleagues with 5 years' experience post probation or equivalent, who are interested in developing approaches to language learning and in implementing change in their own contexts, this might include: classroom teachers, principal teachers, heads of department, heads of faculty or languages lead practitioners.

This online programme is free of charge to state schools and offers participants the opportunity to engage with the most up-to-date information from Education Scotland and other agencies involved in the delivery of Scotland’s languages policy.

SCILT hosted an online information session on Tuesday 22 March. A recording of the session is now available to find out more about the programme and hear experiences of current participants.

Participants can visit the website for more information and to submit their application. Deadline date to submit applications is Monday 25 April.

Related Files

LLP Participants 2022-23 (3.48 MB)

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, CPD, Language Teaching, Teacher Education, SCILT news

Sharp rise in tourists interested in exploring the Gaelic language

21 March 2022 (The Herald)

When it comes to Scottish tourism, castles, lochs, wildlife and whisky are usually touted as the main attractions.

But over the last few years interest has been growing in a different aspect of the country’s culture – the Gaelic language.

VisitScotland has seen a 72 per cent rise in website visitors seeking out Gaelic content over the last four years, with a particular peak during the 2020 lockdown.

And now the language is being viewed as an important part of the sector’s future as it looks to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

This week sees the country celebrate the first ever World Gaelic Week (Seachdain na Gàidhlig), with VisitScotland using the event to highlight the significant role the language plays in tourism and events.

Community Campfires project to spark new stories

18 March 2022 (Scottish Book Trust)

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, has today launched their Community Campfires residencies project. It marks the 14th year of Scottish Book Trust's annual Your Stories campaign and four intensive story making residencies will take place in communities across Scotland via the Story Wagon. The residencies are supported by EventScotland as part of Scotland's Year of Stories 2022.

The Story Wagon will tour: Garnock Valley, North Ayrshire; Greenock, Inverclyde; Lochgelly, Fife and the Western Isles, gathering real life stories from the public. Luke Winter, Navigation Officer of the Story Wagon, will be joined by a team of digital storytellers, filmmakers and podcasters producing content in English and Gaelic.

Visit the website for more information and tour dates from April to June 2022.

Registration now open for OU/SCILT TeLT programme

18 March 2022 (SCILT/OU)

TeLT is the Teachers Learning to Teach Languages programme offered by the Open University in partnership with SCILT, Scotland’s National Centre for Languages. This professional learning opportunity is aimed at educators working in the primary sector and carries GTCS Professional Recognition.

Students learn a language – French, German, Mandarin or Spanish - and in parallel, get to put primary language pedagogies into practice with their own pupils. The programme is offered at two levels – beginners and post-beginners. More information here about how the course works.

Registration for 2022-23 intake is now open. Enrolment closes 8 September. Modules begin in October. More details here on how to register.

Information sessions for local authority officers and prospective applicants will take place in May and June. Dates are to be confirmed.

March Bitesize: Learning for Sustainability / IDL (Primary)

17 March 2022 (SCILT)

SCILT monthly drop-ins are free, themed virtual events that are open to teachers and student teachers working in Scotland.

In March, the Bitesize session focuses on the primary school and explores how language learning can be in incorporated into a Learning for Sustainability (LfS) context. We will hear how schools have been exploring the Global Goals in addition to key environmental issues such as plastic pollution and the place of languages within this.

Come and join us for a drop-in session to listen and discuss on Wednesday 30 March 2022, 4:00 - 4:45pm on Zoom.

Visit our Bitesize webpage for more information and to register.

SQA update to Advanced Higher Modern Languages revision support

14 March 2022 (SQA)

The SQA has published updated revision support notes for learners of Advanced Higher modern languages.

Visit the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages webpage. Updated documents can be found in the 2022 revision support for learners dropdown section.

Gaelic books dumped in skip in Oban prompts probe

8 March 2022 (BBC)

A large number of Gaelic language books have been found dumped in a skip in Oban.

Argyll and Bute Council is investigating why the books were thrown out near a building used by its education department.

Some of the books, which included children's literature and educational material, were new and still in their wrapping.

Posted in: Gaelic, Scotland, Languages in the press

How to Talk About Migrations? A competition for primary and secondary Scottish schools

4 March 2022 (Migration in Education)

We invite pupils and teachers to participate in this exciting competition that explores how we teach and learn about migration — creatively and with empathy. We live in a world that sees many people on the move, and our pupils may have been part of these experiences themselves. In schools, migration may make the topic of creative projects and classroom activities — a unique opportunity for pupils to learn from each other and about each other.

Through this competition, we want to bring forward the best and most creative ideas on teaching and learning about migrations in Scottish schools. We would like to hear about your teaching activities/practices and/or activities that may enable conversations about migration in schools – from language learning, literature, history, to personal experiences. The competition aims to acknowledge and make visible the cultural and linguistic diversity of Scottish primary and secondary schools. The purpose of this competition is to explore how to raise awareness and learn about migration, and move conversations beyond narrow and often negative stereotypes. We advocate and understand migration as a multifaceted and omnipresent fact of life, and hope that the submissions for this competition will reflect this vision.

Visit the competition webpage for more information and submit entries by 25 April 2022.

Alistair Heather: This census is our chance to make Scots language count

3 March 2022 (The Courier)

It’s census season! And I for one couldnae be happier.

I dinnae think I’ve every actually filled ane o these before.

In 2011 I was out the country, and in 2001 I was but a callow youth, so the census task would have been Mammy Heather’s job. So it’s a thrill to finally participate.

And I actually had a totty wee role in putting this census thegither.

In a previous job, I worked to promote Scots language and culture north of the Tay.

I was called into meetings in Aberdeen with the group charged with putting together the language part of the census.

There were perhaps a dozen of us.

The census folk all came up fae the central belt, and brought in myself (at the time I was working for Aberdeen University) and several others interested in the Scots language.

They had nae idea of the culture, language, tensions around Scots, the nuances of different dialects, none of that.

None of them were Scots speakers. But they were really curious, and open to learning.

Posted in: Scotland, Research, Languages in the press, Scots

Scotland's Census 2022 - Scots questions

1 March 2022 (Aye Can)

As part of Scotland's Census 2022 everyone living in Scotland will be asked if they can understand Scots, speak Scots, read Scots and write Scots. We will also be asked what our main language is.

This website is designed to help you assess your knowledge of Scots and answer these questions.

Paisley primary celebrates different pupils' cultures as part of poetry project

26 February 2022 (Daily Record)

Youngsters at a Paisley Primary school have been celebrating the many different cultures of pupils by taking part in a top poetry competition which celebrates different languages from across the globe.

Three pupils from West Primary were selected for the final of the Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition, which encourages children to share their experiences of their families culture and traditions in their families.

Sabina Rodrigues De La Rosa, Tanazzal Shah and Sabihah Tubasem were picked by judges for their poems written about their home countries which the school used to help teach their classmates about the variety of cultures within the school.

Mandarin for BGE

25 February 2022 (CISS)

Do you want to include Mandarin in your school's curriculum but don't currently have the resources?

CISS is offering 10-week blocks of live-streamed language and culture classes commencing September 2022. Two courses are available, one for Primary learners, the other for S1-S3. To find out more about each, follow the relevant link:

Register interest by 18 March 2022.

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Chinese, Scotland, Language Learning, Language Teaching, CISS news

Royal Zoological Society of Scotland programmes for schools

22 February 2022 (RZSS)

The RZSS offers a variety of activities for schools. Bookings are now open for the following programmes:

Beyond the Panda

A 5-week progressive programme for P4-P7. Four weeks live virtual sessions and 5^th week in person outreach. Bookings open now for sessions starting in August 2022. Over the 5 weeks pupils will learn about various Chinese animals, threats, solutions, some Chinese culture while also learning about the Mandarin language and Chinese characters. Key objectives are in the attached pdf.

Giants

This new live virtual session looks at two very different animals from two very different areas of the world and at two very different languages. The giant anteater from South America and the giant panda from China. The session will introduce some basic vocabulary in both Spanish and Mandarin and will be aimed at upper primary level. Suitable for any class already studying Spanish or Mandarin or both. Bookings open now for a limited number of sessions starting April 2022.

Further information for both programmes at beyondthepanda.org.uk

Related Files

Beyond the Panda - 5 week programme P4-P7 (244 KB)

Posted in: Primary, Chinese, Spanish, Scotland, Cross-Curricular Working, Language Learning, Language Teaching, Resources, News from language & education organisations

MTOT 2021-22 - Winners announced!

21 February 2022 (SCILT)

Our awards event to announce the winning entries from this year's Mother Tongue Other Tongue competition was held online today, to coincide with International Mother Language Day. It was a great celebration of the languages being spoken and learned in Scotland and we're delighted to announce the winners and highly commended runners-up in each category as follows:

Mother Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Simon Cronje	Netherlee PS	Afrikaans
P1-P4	Highly commended	Fabian Choromanski	Gallowhill PS	Polish
P5-P7	Winner	Sabihah Tubasem	West Primary	Urdu
	Highly commended	Lovelyn Asare	St Catherine’s PS	Italian
	Highly commended	Sabina Rodrigues da Rosa	West Primary	Brazilian Portuguese
	Highly commended	Tanazzal Shah	West Primary	Urdu
	Highly commended	Zamin Amjad Sheikh	Netherlee PS	Urdu
S1-S3	Winner	Melice Monga Lubengi	Lourdes Secondary	French
	Highly commended	Marcel Zuk & Oskar Kolodziej	St Thomas of Aquin’s	Polish
	Highly commended	Helen Joseph	Lourdes Secondary	Malaylam
	Highly commended	Sarah Alradi	Craigmount High	Arabic
S4-S6	Winner	Regina Wyllie	Loudoun Academy	Bulgarian
	Highly commended	Camran Kouhy	Madras College	Farsi
	Highly commended	Wiktoria Sapko	St Andrew’s Secondary	Polish
Other Tongue	Award	Pupil	School	Language
P1-P4	Winner	Hayley Cowe	Westhill PS	Doric
P1-P4	Highly commended	P2 Class	Newcraighall PS	Spanish
P5-P7	Winner	Lucia Conetta	Glasgow Academy	French
P5-P7	Highly commended	Malaika Ali	Golfhill PS	Urdu
S1-S3	Winner	Grace Ross	Madras College	French
	Highly commended	Deepak Kumaar	Craigmount High	French & German
	Highly commended	Caitlin Fraser	Arran High	French
S4-S6	Winner	Brooklynn Faichnie	Aboyne Academy	French, Spanish & Italian
	Highly commended	Iona Kellas	Aboyne Academy	Latin
	Highly commended	Charlotte Reynolds	Aboyne Academy	Russian

All pupils will receive a certificate and book token. Winning entrants will also receive a trophy as well as the opportunity for their poems to feature in The Children's Poetry Archive and Kids Poetry Club podcast. We will be in contact with schools shortly about taking these extra special opportunities forward. This year also saw a special award sponsored by the Dictionaries of the Scots Language for entries in Scots, which was awarded to Hayley Cowe, our P1-P4 Other Tongue winner!

It is our intention to host each of these poems on the SCILT website and we'll announce when these are available.

Congratulations again to all our finalists!

Posted in: Primary, S1-S3, Senior Phase, All Languages, Scotland, Awards, Celebrating Languages, Community Languages, Language Learning, Minority Languages, Mother Tongue, SCILT news

Easter study webinars - Call for language specialists

17 February 2022 (e-Sgoil)

As part of the National e-Learning Offer, e-Sgoil will be providing an Easter Study programme of webinars for over seventy courses. e-Sgoil is currently looking to recruit language specialists to deliver webinars on 7, 11 and 13 April. If you would like to contribute, or for further details, please contact Simon Hall, Depute Head Teacher at e-Sgoil, on simon.hall@glow.orkneyschools.org.uk. Learner registration for Easter Study webinars goes live on 28 February.

Posted in: All Languages, Scotland, Language Teaching, News from language & education organisations

Seachdain na Gàidhlig - 21-27 March

17 February 2022 (Seachdain na Gàidhlig)

‘Seachdain na Gàidhlig’, is the first official nationwide language and culture week to be held in Scotland, from 21-27 March 2022.

The week promotes Gaelic to all, both at official events and community initiatives, such as Irish Language Week in Ireland and Gaelic Awareness Month in Nova Scotia. It will enable Gaelic speakers and non-speakers to participate in a variety of ways that suit them; both in Scotland and abroad.

Visit the website for more information or see the flyer for ways to get involved.

German conversation course for secondary teachers

14 February 2022 (Goethe-Institut)

Are you a secondary German teacher in a school in Scotland? Would you like to practice speaking and keep up to date on current topics in German-speaking countries?

Then this conversation course is for you. We discuss a wide range of topics including current newspaper articles, radio programs and video clips from German television. You will be able to take away up-to-date materials and hopefully inspiration and many good ideas for your lessons.

The course also offers the opportunity for German teachers to network and exchange best practice examples.

Register by 7 March 2022 for the free online course.

SQA update to Advanced Higher Modern Languages visiting assessing

14 February 2022 (SQA)

Advanced Higher Modern Languages performance-talking visiting assessment guidance for centres has just been published.

Visit the SQA Advanced Higher Modern Languages page, Visiting Examining section for more information.

Bòrd na Gàidhlig provides new resource for career in Gaelic teaching

8 February 2022 (The Herald)

At this time of year, we often think about changing careers so you may find Bòrd na Gàidhlig's new resource useful if you are considering a new career in teaching through the medium of Gaelic.

Following on from the commitments in the National Gaelic Language Plan 2018-23 to recruit, retain and educate Gaelic teachers and to advertise Gaelic teaching as a career, Bòrd na Gàidhlig has created a new resource called a padlet. The padlet complements the existing General Tea

Latest News

Scotland

Exciting opportunity to internationalise your curriculum!

Jacqueline Munro-Lafon Essay Prize 2025

Chinese New Year poster competition – entries now open to all Scottish primary schools!

Multilingualism Live – Let’s work together!

French language teachers, we value your input!

Our World updates!

Deaf young people in Scotland using BSL reflect on their education

Related Files

Music and writing workshop for secondary students

Related Links

University of Stirling Language Ambassadors

Language teaching has got even smaller as GCU axes courses

Related Links

Fiestas and Celebrations in Scotland and Valencia

Living Languages Series 2024-25

Living Languages 2024-25 Programme

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival school programme

Related Files

Related Links

Language Explorers Scotland – registrations for 2024-25 are now open!

CCEd in French at the University of Strathclyde

Upcoming offers from the Goethe-Institut

Exciting opportunity to internationalise your curriculum!

British Council Scotland has launched the first-ever Language Trends Scotland survey

Related Links

Moving Forward with Languages 2024-25

Polish classes for teachers: An introduction to Polish language and culture

École Buissonnière Glasgow vacancy

Related Files

Opportunities from Goethe-Institut

Related Links

European Day of Languages - Save the date!

CCEd in French at the University of Strathclyde

Bilingualism in autism intervention study

Related Links

Exciting opportunity to internationalise your curriculum!

Language courses for pupils at Edinburgh College

Related Files

Celebrating the learning of Mandarin within Scottish schools

Lingobox Learning Easter activities

Gaelic L3 Team Teaching Live Lessons for schools - 6 week block suitable for P5-7

Related Files